Tag: fall break

Posted in Travel

Florida Fall Break Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday!

Well, we’ve almost been home for two weeks, and I’ve shared about Hayden’s time in Arizona and our pit stop in Tennessee at Dolly’s, and today I’m finally getting to share about our week in Seaside, Florida.

It’s hard to believe, but this is the fifth year we’ve traveled with the same crew and stayed in the same house…and while each year looks different, we’ve mastered some traditions as well.

You won’t be able to tell by this post, but on this trip, I took far less photos than I have on previous ones. The kids are around less (this was the first year they could drive!! We spent a lot of time telling them what time to pick us up from the beach…haha!)…and I guess I can only take so many photos of the pretty water and beautiful sunsets…but I still have lots to share today.

Since we have this week down to a science in regards to planning, ordering groceries, and relying on our strengths and weaknesses, I’m going to do this recap a little differently.

To start, here’s a breakdown of what we did each day:

  • Saturday: We all arrived at various times on Saturday. While we were the last to arrive, we were the first in the house, so we got unpacked while others finished up an Hurricane’s, a restaurant we usually go to on the way in. Then, once everyone was at the house, we unpacked the groceries before going to the beach for sunset. The kids went to Seaside Square for the evening, and the adults hung out at home.
  • Sunday: I slept until 10…and tracked Hayden has he made his way to Arizona. I was exhausted. Every morning started slowly with some reading and a cup or two of coffee. Then, overall, it was a beach day….and the kids even hung at the beach for a couple of hours which made us happy. We caught sunset, and then dinner was hamburgers and hot dogs we grilled out as well as some sides…followed by s’mores. We spent the rest of the evening at home.
  • Monday: We had another beach day which was lovely. That evening, we all headed to Seaside Square for dinner. There are lots of restaurants and food trucks, so everyone just picked what they wanted and met up to eat. The kids were around, but they all found friends who were there and ate with them. We hung out and watched the football game that was on the screens in Seaside before heading back to the house.
  • Tuesday: By the third day of vacay, I typically move a little slower, and that’s how Tuesday was. I hung out at the house for quite a while, and Trav and I went to Seaside around 10:30 or so. We walked around, shopped a bit, and I went to my favorite book store…Sundog Books! After that, we had lunch at Daytrader which we’d never been to before. Then, it was beach time, and I stayed there until sunset which was so nice! All the adults listened to Yacht Rock in preparation for the moms and daughters watching the Yacht Rock themed Dancing with the Stars. It was also “Taco Tuesday” at the house, so we had that dinner while watching DWTS.
  • Wednesday: Wednesday was mostly spent at the beach because the weather was beautiful, and we only had two days left. A couple dads and some of the kids went open water fishing very early in the morning. That evening was the parents night out where we go out to eat. We tried a new (to us) restaurant…The Bay. We got there right at sunset, and there was live music to enjoy while we waited. Dinner was delish, and that evening some of us stayed up and played cards for a bit.
  • Thursday: The forecast for Thursday had called for rain, but everything held off for our last full day. Travis and I took the girls to Seaside, and they got breakfast while we went to Black Bear for coffee and breakfast. Then, I went shopping and also checked back in at Sundog because I was looking for a book that they didn’t have on Tuesday. I did get the book and then a Seaside sweatshirt at another store…so it was a successful trip. When we got back to the house, Travis decided to go to Publix to get a few pub subs, and that was our lunch. I ended up with a slight headache, so I decided to take it easy at the house and finish my book…and I even took a nap. When we packed up to head to the beach for the final sunset of our trip, others were coming back saying how windy it was…and these are the tried and true beach goers! So, it was a bummer to miss the final sunset, but there was no point with the fierce winds (the rain did come the next morning). Thursday night is always eat all the leftovers…and clean out the fridge. We packed up, some finished a puzzle, and the kids ran around with friends and then had s’mores.
  • Friday: Friday morning it was time to head home. We were all up around 6:30 and on the road by 7:30 or so. We snapped one last group photo before leaving.

My friend is so talented, and she made us all cups…but each one had a different “mostly likely to…” Once we got settled on Saturday, we divvied up the cups…and mine was…

Most likely to…make it to three beach sunsets! yep! That’s me. Trav got “most likely to sit in the shade” yes!, Hadley had “most likely to go to Pickles,” which she went to at least three times, and even though Hayden wasn’t there, he got “most likely to bike to the beach” which is very much him.

Now on to the picture portion of my recap:

Great Weather:

We had great weather all week! The lows were in the 60’s, and the highs were in the mid-80’s. The only rain chance we had was Thursday, and it got bumped to Friday when we were leaving. I do think it rained most of the weekend after we left.

That being said, the purple flag was flying most days, and it was no lie…marine life (jellyfish!) got one of the kids and one of the adults on two different days.

Has there ever been a more perfect hat for me?!

The beach was only somewhat crowded our first day, but after that, we had our pick of spots!

Sunsets:

I think the only day I didn’t see a the sunset was our last night due to the winds. Three nights we made it to the beach, and then Monday night, we saw the sunset at Seaside, and Wednesday night at the restaurant.

First night sunset…

Sunset in Seaside…

Slow mornings:

Every morning was slow moving which I appreciated. Many of us started our mornings with coffee on the front screened in porch.

Lots of Reading:

On Sunday, I finished a book, and then Monday, I started…

Wednesday, I started…

By Thursday, I started another book, so I call that a success!

Fave Places:

Some of our fave places include the shopping in Seaside as well as Modica Market, Sundog Books, and Black Bear Bread Co.

So many books I read this year were on display…

This Poptart was delish!

Time Spent in the Square:

The teens were up there quite a bit, and I went there three times…once in the evening, and then twice during the day. It was not crowded at all!

The girls rode the golf cart with us one morning, and we grabbed coffee while they shopped.

The post office is always picturesque and is always a fave.

Travis…always working. haha

Purchases:

Hadley was so thoughtful and excited to show me this purchase…a drawing of the post office that she got for me. She was equally excited that she used her money (she’s a working girl!) to buy it.

On my first trip to Sundog Books, I picked up a couple of stickers for my Kindle as well as a word search book. ( I love word searches!)

On my second trip to the book store, they had the book I was looking for…and I spotted these cute matches that I had to have!

Tried New Places:

For lunch, Travis and I tried Daytrader for the first time. The A/C saved us, but the decor was cute too!

He got a burger, and I got a shrimp bowl; both were delish!

We had the parent dinner at The Bay on Wednesday night. We’d never been there before, and the atmosphere was so nice. We were right on the water, there was a live band, and the food was delish.

Evenings at the House:

As everyone knows, I’m a homebody and even more so in the past few years. I feel thankful to feel “at home” in Seaside and at the house we rent because we’ve been there five years in a row. Also, the kids are at the age where they don’t need us as much, we we enjoyed hanging back at the house, playing games, listening to music, roasting s’mores, etc.

On Tuesday, we did listen to Yacht Rock most of afternoon and at sunset because we were going to watch Dancing with the Stars that evening.

Play Nine is always a fun game to play…

It was a group effort, but one puzzle was completed during the week. Two moms stayed up pretty late finishing it on the last night!

Pool time:

We have two pools in the neighborhood we stay in, and I’ve never been to either…that being said, the teens use them quite a bit.

This could be an album cover! lol

Photo Opps:

You know who loves to take a photo?! Teen girls!! They had three nights were they hit up Seaside and the beach for sunset photos…and they turned out so amazing.

They pack a lot of clothes, and then share with each other! LOL

They got good at asking people to take the group photos. haha

…with the occasional selfie!

Hadley loves the beach!

Great Crew:

We missed Hayden, but this crew had a great time together….no fighting, lots of late nights, lots of laughing, running around, beach time, pool time, golf cart rides and more.

Again, it was a great trip and another year filled with memories. Of course, it was different not having Hayden with us, but he was having a great time with his cousins.

We have this vacation pretty much down to a science…even after the initial Publix delivery, we still almost make some kind of daily Publix run, we let the kids do their thing (with restrictions, of course) and they are good about being back to the house by 8:00, we take multiple trips to and from the beach for those who want to go, we know who wants to get oysters a time or two, we know who is likely to sleep in (that’s probably me!), who likes to go on daily walks (Trav and others), who wants to be at the beach as early as possible, and who wants to catch as many sunsets as possible (again, me!)

We still use the Splitwise app to settle up at the end of the trip, and it’s been an easy way to keep track of expenses.

Other Trip Recaps:

2025 – part 1
2025- Part 2
2024
2023
2022- part 1
2022-Part 2

What a blessing to have a crew who is easy to travel with and oh so much fun!

While Seaside was mostly spared during Hurricane Isaias, the community was closed Friday-Monday with power outages, debris and some damage. I follow a few 30A accounts, and seeing the photos of washed away boardwalks and uprooted palm trees was a sad sight, but it could have been so much worse.

I’m so glad our favorite little town was spared.

Posted in Kids, Travel

Trip Recap: Arizona

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I will say that this week is flying by…and it’s hard to believe that we’ve almost been home from vacation for a week.

We did our traditional fall break in Florida, but Hayden decided to visit his cousins who live in Flagstaff, Arizona. I don’t have a ton of details because “boys will be boys,” but I’m sharing a few pics today!

Two of our nephews live in Flagstaff…one of them because he runs professionally, and it’s a great place to train, and the other because he followed his brother there once he graduated college and now is a photographer and videographer whose content is amazing!

When Travis realized that one of the nephews was flying back to Louisville at the end of the break, we knew it was great timing for Hayden to visit and have a travel buddy on the way home.

My kids have flown quite a few times, but I never know if they are really paying attention on how to navigate an airport. That being said, when we flew this summer, I did let them lead the way a bit just because at this age, they should know how to make their way through security, find their terminal, download their boarding pass, etc.

That being said, I was a little nervous that Hayden had to connect through Dallas on his way to Flagstaff; I’ve been in that airport a couple of times, and it’s just so big and busy. Hayden’s flight left out of Louisville on the Sunday of our fall break, and Louisville family dropped him off.

He made it to Dallas, and he even navigated riding the tram to a different terminal. Once he was at his gate, I breathed a little easier. His flight to Flagstaff was a bit delayed, but he made it there by 1:00 or so Sunday afternoon.

I did have to text my nephew’s wife to ask what time it was in Flagstaff. In Florida, we were on central time, so I was all thrown off! Flagstaff doesn’t do DST, so sometimes they are two hours behind EST and sometimes three!

Anyway, the weather in Flagstaff was rainy the first couple of days Hayden was there, but that didn’t stop him from having fun with his cousins.

Stetching his legs on a walk after the flight on Sunday…

He became a cat person while in Flagstaff! Don’t tell Homer.

On Monday, despite the rain, Hayden went to Sedona with Josh to hike. I guess we should have packed him a raincoat!

I told Josh that I was glad he sent these pics after they got back to the house. I didn’t really know their plans for the day, so knowing he was climbing on slippery rocks would have had my pulse racing a bit.

He told Josh that this was much better than the beach!

On Tuesday, it was another rainy day, but Josh and Jacob took Hayden to the Grand Canyon (and thankfully they found a raincoat for him)

All smiles…

The last time we’d been to Sedona and the Grand Canyon was 2018 when we planned a trip there after Hayden learned about the Grand Canyon in second grade. Neither Trav nor I had been there either, and it was such a great experience.

It’s a great big world out there…(peep Hayden!)

Hayden sent these pics that he took while they drove around…

This one is so pretty with the trees with the beautiful yellow leaves. I’d shared it on Facebook and a friend asked what the animal was staring Hayden down on the left side of the pic. I hadn’t even noticed it, but that’s my nephew’s dog…maybe he’s part wolf?!

On Wednesday, I think they stayed closer to home; Jacob is training for a marathon, and his wife was working. Hayden went to the gym with Jacob and did some things around the house.

They were to fly out Thursday afternoon, but the flight was canceled due to weather…so they had to regroup. They were able to get the same flight on Friday and they made it to Dallas…but then were delayed. We were driving back from Florida that day, so they had to keep us updated with how the travel was going. After a few delays, their flight arrived in Louisville at midnight rather than 9PM…and Travis picked him up; they didn’t get back to Lex until 2AM. Let’s just say we all slept in on Saturday morning!

I’m proud of Hayden for doing this on his own. He’s never been a big beach person, and we knew this trip would make him happy…and it was good for him to be with his cousins. I hate that they had so many travel issues, but I’m thankful they were on the way back when he had a travel buddy to help him with those hiccups.

Anyway, I’m patting myself on the back for letting go a bit and letting him do something on his own. The kids are at the age where they are ready to figure some of these “close to adulting” things out on their own. I’m also very thankful for life 360 and the American Airline app, so we could help him with whatever he needed. haha

Have a great Thursday!

Posted in Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 2

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Thursday!

I forgot to schedule this post this morning which give you a peek into how my week is going haha!

I’m picking up where I left off with part 1 of my recap of the first few days of our fall break in Florida. Here’s a glimpse at the rest of the trip:

Tuesday morning started off slowly. Is there any better way than to start your day on the screened in porch with a cup of coffee?

Then, we headed to Seaside to meet some friends for breakfast…Hadley was our chauffeur…

Last year was our first year going to Black Bear, and it was a must again this year.

I got a bagel, and then we found a spot outside of Modica Market to eat. Trav picked up both up one of their legendary mimosas.

After that, we walked around a bit and shopped. I went into Sundogs Books which is one of my favorite spots in Seaside.

Seaside was far less crowded than in years past which was amazing.

Once we got back to the house, we changed and headed to the beach. Of course, there were clouds most days, but Tuesday was pretty overcast and honestly, that was a great reprieve from the heat.

We were at the beach for quite a while and then went back to the house for a bit before going back for sunset. Unfortunately, it was a pretty cloud covered sunset, but Hadley and friends had fun taking photos.

It was Taco Tuesday for dinner at the house and the moms and daughters watched Dancing with the Stars.

I was up pretty early on Wednesday and decided to take a walk. I love this entry point by our house.

I spotted the boys out fishing.

The water was so beautiful and calm.

One of Trav’s friends lives about an hour from Seaside, and he came in to see Trav and another friend who was in town on vacation. I joined them in Seaside where we sat around and talked and grabbed lunch. Hadley had tried the new “dumpling” place and raved about the fried rice, so that’s what I had for lunch that day.

We got back to the house early afternoon, and I was tired. I tend to “hit a wall” at some point on vacay, and this was that day. I just hung out at the house and read and took a nap. The teens were in and out, and I took them to Publix for cookie dough and whatever else they needed. It was just a chill house day.

On vacay, we choose one night when the adults go out to dinner. So, we got ready, and the girls got ready too because they were headed to the beach for more sunset pics.

Hadley and I snapped a pic…

…before I dropped the girls off at the beach. These friends had the best time that week.

Then, the adults made our way to Watercolor to eat at Fish Out of Water. While we waited for our table, we took a few pics and caught the sunset.

We’d never been to this restaurant before, and it was so nice. I got the low country boil, and it was so good.

Meanwhile…the girls were living their best lives. haha

The kids requested ice cream, so one of the dads picked up ice cream cones at Publix (don’t ask how many times we went to Publix on this trip. lol), and that was everyone’s sweet treat when we got home.

Thursday morning started with coffee and reading. I was starting to panic that I hadn’t read enough on this trip! Going on a trip with a big group means more chatting than reading, apparently…but that’s ok.

A couple of Hayden’s friends rolled into town and one of moms is good about getting pictures. She spotted Hayden on the way to meet the boys who were fishing.

We all made the most of the last beach day, and the weather was beautiful.

I started a new book.

After a few hours, some of us packed up because we wanted to go back to Seaside for a few things. I wanted an iced coffee from Black Bear, and I went back to the book store for a book.

Trav met me there, and we spotted both kids out and about with their friends.

Then, we went to Great Southern and met friends for apps and a drink.

After that, it was time to catch one more sunset…look at the sailboat showing off!

Is it even a 30A vacay without a sunset Seaside shirt pic?!

Big and little girls combined! What great memories they’ll have from these vacations.

The adults rallied for a photo!

…and one with all the kids. We didn’t travel with all of these kids, but our kids are good at finding their friends!

My family obliged for a couple of photos…

…which I always appreciate.

Also, isn’t it amazing how quickly the sky changes as the sun sets? I’m always in awe of it.

We packed up and headed back to the house. None of us look forward to Thursday evening when it’s time to eat all the leftovers in the fridge, do laundry and start packing.

Friday morning we all wanted to leave by 7:30, and we were close to that goal. The kids *begrudgingly* took one more photo. We were all tired from a fun filled week.

The drive home is brutal because Nasvhille traffic is no fun most times of the day. Truly, the drive to Seaside is usually under ten hours, and the trip home is always at least eleven hours! Plus, we lose an hour on the way back.

Anyway, we never know if we’ll be able to pull the trip off year after year, but so far, we’ve made this happen for four years. It’s hard to believe we might only have a couple years left!

Also, my apologies for however many times I typed “sunset.” If it was a drinking game, you’d be under the table!

Thanks for following along, and let me know if you have any questions.

Posted in Travel

Fall Break 30A Recap Part 1

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Wednesday.

Well, the first day back to school was as busy as you’d imagine after over a week off from school. That being said, it was great to see my students again, and we had a good day overall.

We had another really lovely fall break in Florida with friends. Every year is similar but different, but I love having all the memories in one place.

This post I shared last year recapped that trip, but I also shared a few thoughts about how we’ve made it work traveling with three other families the past few years. It’s a blessing to find a crew that you enjoy being with, but those who also understand when you need to fuss at your kid. haha

We’re all like one big family at this point.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the first few days of our fall break fun:

Friday:

Let me remind you that our last day of school included the freshman field trip for me! So, we’d decided to make the decision to leave Friday and drive to Nashville or wait and drive the full ten hours on Saturday until after school. Once I got home, I still needed to pack, but I was motivated at the thought of sleeping in a bit Saturday if we left Friday night. We got the car packed up and left the house around 6:30. I drove the first hour and a half, and Trav drove the rest of the way. We made it outside of Nashville by 10:00 which was our goal. We checked into the hotel and got a great night’s sleep.

Saturday:

Honestly, I was sleeping so well that Trav woke me at 8:00 because he was ready to get on the road. We had breakfast at the hotel, and left by 9:00. I honestly would have loved to sleep longer, but it was time to get moving as we had a six hour drive ahead of us.

It was a pretty easy drive, and we stopped a couple of times for gas and lunch. One of the families drove the whole way on Friday, another drove to Birmingham on Friday and the last family drove the whole way on Saturday. So, we all kind of did our own thing to get to Seaside, but we met at Hurricanes around 3:00 which has been our tradition to grab a bite to eat.

The house was ready surprisingly early, so after our meal, we all headed that way and unpacked. The groceries had been delivered a bit earlier, and our friend had already unpacked them.

Most of us went to the beach to catch the first sunset of vacay.

Honestly, I’m glad we made that happen…it was nice to have my toes in the sand, but also, this was the best sunset of the trip!

UK football was on that evening, so we all just hung at the house, watched the game, and some of us played a few games before going to bed.

Sunday:

We all eased into the morning. I love hanging out on the front porch to have my morning coffee.

We made it to the beach around 10:30 and set up for the day. The weather was warm, and the water was beautiful.

The teens come and go to the beach, and some days they are there longer than others. Since it was the first full day, I guess they wanted to be where we were. haha

I rarely buy books, but I’d been at Target the week before, and decided to purchase Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book that she co-wrote with her daughter. I was excited to start reading it.

I stayed at the beach until about 3:30, and then I headed back to the house to watch the Chiefs game. Hayden and I did that, but then I headed back for sunset.

One of the friends made these cute cups for our trip. They were perfect.

The girls joined us….they are such a sweet and fun group.

Hadley…she understood the assignment.

Fun with friends.

The sunset was a stunner.

It is crazy that it’s dark by 6:30. Once back at the house, we grilled out and then the kids made s’mores.

Truly, most nights we’d think it was 10:00 only to find out it was 8:30! haha

Monday:

Monday, I slept until 9, and then it was another slow morning followed by a beach day.

Hayden and a couple of friends went golfing while the rest of us beached it.

Mermaid Hadley.

We usually have one night that the moms go out for happy hour, so we did that on Monday night.

We went to Rosemary Beach which is about fifteen minutes from where we stay. It’s a really cute little town.

We went to The Pearl for happy hour.

I had a Frose’…

…and we had the perfect sunset views.

We stayed for a couple of hours…

…and then as we headed out, we asked someone to take our pic, and I’m so glad we did.

We went to Seaside for dinner, and then it was back to the house. The first few days were great!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#276}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, all good things must come to an end. Today is our last official day of fall break, and it’s been a good one!

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

This week we spent time in one of our favorite places…30A/Seaside. This is the fourth year we’ve spent the week here for fall break, and it was another great year.

The weather was in the upper 80’s all week, and we only had one cloudy day.

Seaside showing off…

The one cloudy day, but it was still a good one at the beach!

We caught the sunset every night which is my favorite thing to do on vacay.

We had many great meals, and the moms snuck away for a happy hour on Monday night in Rosemary.

We always have one night where the parents go out for a nice dinner, and we caught the sunset while we waited for our table.

The kids are with us, but rarely around 🤣

We’re headed home today, and I will share a trip recap next week…although it was pretty much sunshine, sunsets and seafood like always.

A few other faves….

October is my favorite month, so I always share this quote to kick off the month:

Per usual, I have a few new book trackers saved to a highlight on my Instagram.

Feel free to screenshot them, use them and tag me! I always love seeing what others are reading.

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a few posts:

September Books
Wednesday Hodgepodge
Monthly moments

We’re ready to get back home, do laundry, sleep in our own beds, and see Homer!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#229}: Vacay Recap

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF! After being sick at the end of last week, this full week of school sure did feel like a long one. That being said, it was nice to get back into a routine!

Thanks to being sick and just life being busy, I haven’t recapped our trip to 30A for fall break.

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

…for a little…

This is our third year of having a full week for fall break…and it’s also our third year traveling to the 30A area with our same group of friends. This vacay is definitely one of our favorites.

We weren’t sure if this trip would happen until we saw the fall sports schedule. Thankfully, for us, cross country and volleyball didn’t have anything scheduled, so we were able to take this vacay.

By the end of this post, you might be sick of pics of sunsets and me reading my Kindle. haha

Here are the details of our trip:

Saturday:

We left our house around 8:30 on Saturday morning, and had a very smooth ten hour ride to 30A.

Two families left the night before, so they were getting the house settled right as us and another family arrived.

After we got unpacked, everyone scattered, but my friend and I went to the beach for sunset which is my favorite part of a beach vacation.

We had about thirty minutes on the beach.

Once we got back to the house, again, people kind of did whatever they wanted. The dads/husbands ordered pizza and wings and stayed home to watch football.

The moms went to Seaside where most of the kids were, and we enjoyed our dinner before going back to the house for the night.

Sunday:

We had a lazy morning with breakfast at home.

Eventually, we made it to the beach around noon. Because Hurricane Helene had just blown through, the flags were red, and the water was murky and choppy. The water reminded me more of the Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the Gulf of Mexico. We could still get in the water if needed, but no swimming or playing around. So, the kids mostly hung on the beach.

I read most of the afternoon.

The kids played on the beach. The girls mostly laid out, and the boys played bocce ball. Eventually the kids left and went to Seaside.

It was such a beautiful day.

In the late afternoon, the guys went for oysters and the girls went back to the house.

My friend Megan and I stayed all day until sunset.

This crew joined us at the beach for sunset. They are such a sweet group!

Sunsets never get old…

That night, we grilled out for dinner, played “Play 9” and had s’mores.

It was a great first full day at the beach.

Monday:

Monday morning, we took our time getting started with the day. The girls had gotten up early for the sunrise, and shared their pretty photos

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but the girls wanted muffins, so I took them on the golf cart to Seaside.

This view is always so pretty:

Then, we went back to the house. Some of our friends also had a house in our neighborhood, and they suggested Black Bear for breakfast. We’d never been, and it’s now a few fave for breakfast!

This bagel hit the spot:

Then, we went to the beach for the day. The water was calmer, but we still had a red flag.

I stayed a few hours, and I headed back to the house in the early afternoon.

I love nothing more than an afternoon nap on vacation. Also, because I’d stayed at the beach all day the day before, I was kind of a lobster in some spots. So, I headed back to the house for a shower and a nap before breakfast.

The kids wanted to go out to eat for dinner, and one of the easiest places to do that is at the Big Chill. There’s a variety of restaurants to choose from and lots of space to hang out.

It was a really pretty night.

We enjoyed dinner and a drink for a couple of hours, and then we went home. Most of us went to bed pretty early.

Tuesday:

We have something planned for breakfast every morning at the house, and Tuesday’s breakfast was bacon and biscuits.

That morning, we went shopping in Seaside…and I got my traditional post office pic with Had.

Of course the girls got a pic too!

Then, we did a bit of shopping. Hadley got a sweatshirt, and I got a t-shirt.

Trav and Hadley went over to Black Bear for breakfast, and my friend sent me this pic:

Then, it was time for the beach…and it was a yellow flag for the day, but the water was back to a pretty green/blue color that we are used to on the Gulf.

How Hayden does the beach:

The kids were so happy to be able to play in the water after the two red flag days. This is such a fun crew:

Hayden and I were back to the house by 3:00 to watch the Royals game play off game.

I had asked my family to make sure they were at the beach for sunset as I knew the next day, we wouldn’t be able to be at the beach at sunset and there was a chance of rain on Thursday.

Anyway, I was happy to get a pic with the fam:

…and a few other pics:

The girls were there for the traditional sweatshirt pic. I love that the pretty colors of their sweatshirts match the beautiful water and sky.

Besties!

At Modica Market, I picked up this 30A Rose’, and it was the perfect beverage for the beach.

After sunset, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner.

Wednesday:

Wednesday was another beach day. We spent time at the beach 10:30-3, and it was the best beach day we had. The water and the temps were perfect. My friend overheard another beach goer say that they picked up sand dollars at the sand bar that we could see a bit out past where we could touch.

So, we swam (with our flotation devices) to the sand bar. We were out there for about 45 minutes and came back with so many sand dollars.

Of course, the little girls laid them out and counted them once we got back.

We even had some cloud coverage that day which was so nice.

I had lots of time to read…

…before I headed back to the house for the Royals game 3:30. They won both games on Tuesday and Wednesday which was so fun to watch.

That night, while we were getting ready for the adults’ dinner, the girls went to the beach for their own sunset pics.

We headed to dinner at Cafe Thirty-A. I got the lobster alfredo, and it was delish!

We came home to the girls working on a puzzle.

They completed a couple that week!

It was a great evening with an early bedtime.

Thursday:

A few of us decided to hit up Black Bear for breakfast one more time on Thursday. It definitely hit the spot!

After breakfast, we spent some time in Seaside, and did some window shopping and some real shopping.

A rare glimpse of the boys!

Of course, after that, I headed to the beach for a few hours. We “forced” the kids to go to the beach since it was the last day.

It was a purple flag day…so the girls were on the look out for some jelly fish. We did see a few in the water that day.

The girls just kept their toes in the water. haha

Well, the kids didn’t last more than an hour. The girls went to the pool, and Travis took the boys golfing. So, I had a few hours on the beach to read and enjoy the view. A few of the other adults stayed too. We wanted to soak in the last day.

Once I got back from the beach, I showered and started to get organized and pack.

Hadley went to Rosemary Beach with one of the other families.

Eventually, Travis and I made our way to Seaside where Hayden was. The post office was decorated for fall.

While we waited to be seated at Great Southern, Hayden snapped a pic with me 🙂

The three of us had dinner, and the boys ran off again to hang out.

Once we were back at the house, the girls had movie night, and we packed up to leave in the morning.

Friday:

Friday morning, we finished packing up the car, and I forced the kids to take one more pic in front of the house. Truly, they weren’t happy with me…but oh well…I’m used to dealing with moody teens. haha

Then, we hit the road back home. It took us a bit longer to get home; we didn’t do a good job planning our stops. Also, one of our stops was Bucee’s where I’m convinced Travis picked up Covid, got sick, and then passed it on to me. Oh well…we’re all feeling better now.

It’s always sad to leave the beach after a good trip, but it’s also so nice to arrive home and sleep in our own beds.

A few thoughts:

  • This was our third year doing this trip with the same families, and I feel so lucky to have a crew that gets along, makes plans, but goes with the flow, and we all enjoy each other’s company.
  • It’s important to have low expectations when traveling with a big group, and I think we do a good job of that. Also, we have followed the same at home breakfast and dinner plans the past few years, but also adjust as needed. For example, the kids all wanted to go out to dinner, so that’s how we ended up going to the The Big Chill rather than eating at home Monday night. Some families or couples end up making their own plans, and that’s fine too. Some love to beach all day, and others just go for a few hours. I think we’ve done a good job embracing each other’s preferences. They all know I love to catch as many sunsets as possible, but I know there are nights that won’t happen, and that’s fine.
  • Each year has gotten easier as the kids get older. Do I wish my kids, and even Trav, were at the beach more because that’s what I like to do? Yes. But, it’s nice that the kids are old enough to have some independence too.
  • Bikes come in handy as that’s the kids’ main form of transportation. The house comes with some, but there were extra ones this year, and Trav rented one to use to follow Hayden on his runs.
  • The golf cart is also a key factor for us as that’s the easiest form of transportation to most places in the Seaside area. We pay extra to use the one at the house.
  • This was the first year we used the “Splitwise” app. I’d heard of it, but had never used it. We would just add in expenses, divide it up, and settle up using Venmo at the end of the week to repay whoever needed paid.
  • This year, we arrived on Saturday evening, and usually we drive halfway on Saturday, and arrive late afternoon on Sunday. It was SO nice having the extra day, but then still having the weekend to recover and regroup after a week away was perfect.

Overall, it was a great trip, and we hope to do it again if the athletics schedule allows.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Share Our Lives
Wednesday Hodgepodge

If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for reading!!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Friday Favorites, Travel

Friday Favorites {#227}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, this week went by quickly. Why is it like that when you have time off? We’ve been on fall break in Florida this week, and it just went by too fast!

I hope you’ve had a great week.

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

Here are a few faves from the week:

We left Saturday morning and drove the ten hours to 30A Florida near Seaside. This is our third fall break doing this with three other families, and it’s truly become one of my most favorite weeks of the year.

We arrived at the house around 5:30, and I was able to catch the 6:30 sunset with a friend. I do hate that the sun sets so early in the fall!

We had the best week with our kids…the girls…

…and the boys.

Due to Hurricane Helene, the waters weren’t very clear the first two days. The Gulf looked more like the Atlantic Ocean, but with each passing day, the green blue water reappeared.

We had fun shopping in Seaside and grabbing breakfast or a mimosa most mornings.

We were able to catch a few sunsets this week. Honestly, the four of us weren’t on the beach together often as the kids kind of did their own thing, and Travis isn’t really a beach guy, so I was thankful to snap this sunset pic on Tuesday.

Seaside sweatshirt pic…per tradition!

Every year, I stop in the Sundog Books store and pick up a book or some other souvenir.

I loved this quote when I stopped by yesterday:

I’m sure I will do a full recap, hopefully next week, but we had a great week filled with sand, sunshine, family and friend time.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Hahaha…Hadley is like me in many ways!

One more fave:

Two afternoons this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, Hayden and I came back from the beach in time to cheer on our boys in blue. The Royals swept the Orioles and are headed the ALDS series which starts tomorrow vs. the Yankees in New York.

It’s been so fun watching them this season, and we even went to a game while in KC this summer and then we went to Cincinnati about a month ago to watch them as they beat the Reds.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Monday Memes
September Books

What are your weekend plans? We’ll get home tonight, and then I need to spend the rest of the weekend getting my life in order! I see laundry and grocery shopping in my future as well as some downtime to watch the Royals game on Saturday.

See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Travel

Group Getaway

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hi!

I shared my post yesterday about all the fun we had on our 30A vacay last week, and today I’m sharing some of the logistics as far as traveling with a group.

Tip #1: Travel with people who you enjoy spending time with…haha.

I truly feel blessed that we are 2 for 2 traveling with this group for an extended amount of time for two fall breaks in a row.

Here’s a few of the logistics:

Lodging:

One of the families took the lead on renting the house way back in February. Since we had rented the year before, we got a bit of a discount on being a returning customer. That family paid the first half of the down payment, and we reimbursed via Venmo.

Again, the second half was due in August, and we paid our shares via Venmo to the lead family. Then, they also paid for the golf cart, which is optional with this rental, a couple weeks before our trip. We reimbursed via Venmo again.

Planning:

The moms met beforehand to plan the meals and groceries. Last year, we all got together, and it took some time to plan everything. This year, I wasn’t able to meet up with the ladies, but it was basically a “rinse and repeat” of last year.

We collectively placed an Instacart order of quite a few things we needed like milk, cereal, eggs, chips, etc. Then, we divided up other items like trash bags, ground coffee, paper plate, board games, chips and salsa, coffee pods, waffle maker, and more to bring as well.

One of my friends had the family list from last year, so we just pretty much kept it the same.

We reimbursed via Venmo for the Instacart order.

We had a plan of grilling out the first night and making tacos in the slow cooker the second night. The third evening, we met up at the food trucks in Seaside after happy hour. The fourth night, the parents went out and the kids had pizza. Then, the last day, families did what they wanted for lunch, and we just cleaned out the fridge for dinner.

For breakfast, we did something different every morning. We had waffles in waffle maker, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, eggs/bacon and other items. I don’t feel like I was a big help with breakfast, but the kids were fed thanks to the other moms.

For the beach, we had sandwich stuff, chips, and fruit.

One dad made a Publix run most mornings for odds and ends, and we just tried to keep track of that to reimburse or buy something the next round.

Rooms:

As far as rooms go, there’s a primary bedroom upstairs that also has a secondary room with bunk beds. One family has a boy my kids’ age and two younger girls, so that room made the most sense for them.

Then, there’s a Jack/Jill bathroom that connected two bedrooms. The boys were in one room, and Travis and I shared the other room. One of the boys went to the primary bed/bathroom with his parents as needed. We figured, it made sense for Travis and I to share the bathroom with Hayden. There was one other full bedroom and bathroom upstairs as well as downstairs, so that covered the other two couples. Then, the girls had the carriage house with three beds and a full bathroom.

Venmo:

Obviously, Venmo was very handy for this trip for both paying for things in advance and to reimburse. The night we ordered pizza for the kids, it was $10/kid, and we all just paid immediately, so we didn’t have to keep track of that anymore.

I’ve heard of the “Splitwise” app, and maybe that’s something we can use in the future. I think everything came out pretty even. We tried to follow up at the end of the trip to make sure.

Since we knew the kids would be on their own a bit, we put about $100 on their debit cards, so they could pay for ice cream, food truck, etc. when they went to Seaside. I’m really glad we did that.

Activities:

There are some families that want to stay at the beach all day while others are good for a few hours. We just went with the flow the best that we could. One dad was at the house quite a bit for work, so he didn’t mind coming back and forth a few times with the golf cart to pick up. The house came with quite a few bikes, so the kids could bike back and forth to beach or back and forth to Seaside as long as they were together and we knew where they were.

The neighborhood has two pools, so those were options for our kids too. We laid out the rules/expectations and they knew if they broke the rules, all would suffer a consequence.

The fishing trip happened because another friend of mine was in Destin, and her husband wanted to fish. Our guys were interested, so they organized that.

The moms and dads each had a happy hour as well as a combined one too.

There are definitely things that we all think are important, and I think we all do a good job respecting that. By now, they know I love a beach sunset (I’m sure I’m not the only one), but it’s also fine with me to only go a couple nights.

Others want to go to happy hour. Some want to play pickleball. Some beach most of the day while others are fine with just a couple of hours. Some of the boys love to fish while others don’t as much. I think it helps that our kids are mostly older, so they had a bit more freedom and flexibility this trip.

Thoughts:

I’m so very thankful that we’ve had two successful fall breaks with this same crew.

I know our kids will look back on these trips with great memories. I’m not sure what next year’s plan will be. With fall high school sports and what the expectation of those might be, this might be it for at least a bigger vacay in October….but who knows?

Let me know if you have any other questions about our group vacay. We don’t have all the answers, but I’m thankful we are all still friends at the end of it. 😉

Posted in Travel

Fall Break Fun in the Sun

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Well, we’ve been back from the fun in the sun for a few days now, and today’s post is all about our trip to 30A with friends.

This is the second year that our district has given us a week long fall break, and we decided back in February to make this trip happen again.

Here’s what went down:

Saturday:

There were five families going, and everyone left at different times. It’s about a ten hour drive to Destin/30A from Lexington, and we didn’t get our rental house until Sunday late afternoon.

Like last year, the plan for most of us was to leave Lexington in the morning and stop in Birmingham for the night. Well, of course, Kentucky football takes precedence, and they were playing Florida at noon. So…Travis and Hayden stayed back for the game with another family’s guys, and Hadley and I left with the girls in that family around 12:30.

I was glad to have the morning to sleep in a bit, pack, and then leave around lunchtime. So, we had a car of girls while Travis, Hayden and three others drove after the game.

We made it to Birmingham around dinnertime along with a couple of other families.

We met for dinner at Taco Mama which was perfect for all of us. There was an outside sitting area, and we enjoyed the weather, tacos, and margs.

We went to the hotel around 8:00, and the guys arrived around 9.

Sunday:

On Sunday, we were all up and eating breakfast by 8, and we left the hotel around 9. We drove the rest of way, about 4 hours, and stopped for lunch at Hurricane Oyster Bar in Grayton Beach like we did last year.

After we ate, we drove about twenty more minutes to our house. Last year, we got lucky and the house was ready around 3. This year, it wasn’t ready until the “guaranteed” check in time of 5:00.

We stayed in the same house in Seagrove Beach as last year which was the perfect fit for our four families. The fifth family that was a part of our crew found the cutest house in our same neighborhood, and they let us hang until our house was ready for check in. We were so excited that it worked out to have them nearby.

The groceries were delivered, and we unpacked before heading to the beach.

We were there about an hour before sunset. I will say that’s a “downfall” of going to the beach for fall break…the sun sets so early!!

I had cute cups made again thanks to @cupsoncochran and they were perfect for sips at sunset.

Like last year, we just grilled out the first evening. It was nice to have that option after a long day. The Chiefs were on tv, so some of us watched the game before hitting the hay.

Monday:

We had a slow start to the morning, and I enjoyed my coffee on the front porch.

Then, we headed to the beach. (Our house was in a neighborhood across the street from the beach.)

We were there a few hours. This trip, the kids kind of went back and forth from the house more than last time…teenage perks, I guess. Our house came with quite a few bikes, so they would bike about a mile to Seaside to walk around, get food or get ice cream…or they’d bike to and from the house to the beach as needed.

That evening, the adults headed to Seaside after the beach and look who we saw:

Haha…they were living their best lives.

The adults enjoyed happy hour and apps at Great Southern. They have a delicious mojito.

We walked around for a bit afterwards…

…before heading to the beach for sunset.

Then, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner and s’mores by the fire.

Some of of use played the card game Phase 10 while our friend played his guitar. We were spoiled with nightly entertainment.

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning, everyone kind of did their own thing. Travis and Hayden went on a run while some played pickle ball. There was a pickleball/basketball court in our neighborhood.

A few of us walked to Seaside to get a Modica Market mimosa. Try saying that three times fast. You can’t after having one of these! haha

After that, we headed to the beach. I was thankful to snag this pic of my fam before the kids ran off…

I was at the beach for most of the day…which isn’t my norm. I’m a three or four hours at the beach type of girl…on this day, I was there for about six!

I got lots of reading time in which was great. Have you read Mad Honey? It was my book for the week.

That afternoon, the guys went out for oysters and when they got back, the moms went to Wine World in Watercolor.

We had a “girl” dinner…wine and charcuterie.

Then, we met the guys and the kids back at Seaside. Everyone kind of did their own thing for dinner. There are lots of food trucks, so the kids got what they wanted for dinner. Modica Market has wine and beer by the cup, so we all had a glass while the kids walked around and ate.

The post office in Seaside is soooo cute. So, of course we had to take more pics.

Once we were back at the house, some of us placed Phase 10 again before bed.

Wednesday:

The guys were up early for fishing.

I took it easy, and went to the beach around 11.

I love my new cover up…

They caught a few fish, but unfortunately my guys were very seasick the entire time. Very sick. Ooof. So sick that they had to cut the trip short. (Apparently, the waves were super high and the water was far from calm.)

After the beach, we were at the house most of the afternoon, and then it was our night for the adults to go out. We ordered pizza for the kids, and they hung out and watched a movie for the couple hours we were gone.

Before we left, I snapped a pic of the girls in their Seaside sweatshirts. I wasn’t sure if we’d get a beach pic of them like last year, so we went with this option.

We ate dinner at Old Florida Fish House which is where we ate last year.

Then, we drove to Rosemary Beach. I’d never been there. We went to the Pearl for a drink.

We were home by 9:00 because we are such party animals…haha

We hung out on the front porch for a bit before going to bed.

Thursday:

On Thursday, my friend and I went and got a permanent bracelet at a pop up shop called Spark Collection in Watercolor.

The girls tagged a long and then we went to Seaside to shop a bit. I even checked out the cute bookstore!

Then, it was beach time…

The boys graced us with their presence…

…and then they were back at the house…lol

We spent most of the afternoon at the beach. We all kind of took turns using the golf cart to leave the beach for lunch and come back. We wanted to make the most of our last day by hanging at the beach as much as possible (at least that’s what the adults wanted to do…) but also eat out once more for lunch.

My family and Hayden’s friend had a late lunch at Great Southern before going back to the beach until sunset.

The kids joined us back at the beach…and the girls were in their Seaside sweatshirts again. haha

Here they are last year:

…and we wrangled the kids for a sunset pic…

…and a few group pics.

Before taking in one final sunset.

Once we got back to the house, it was time to shower, eat dinner and start packing. For dinner, we just raided the fridge and freezer. There were lots of pizza rolls, chicken tenders, and tater tots to eat. My friend Megan fried and grilled the fish the boys brought home, and it was so good.

My friend Allison was the brave one to go check out the girls’ carriage house situation. We thought it was best not to go up there until we absolutely had to. haha

Thankfully, they did a good job packing up.

After dinner, we hung out in the backyard by the fire before going to bed around 10.

Friday :

We were up around 7, and hit the road around 8:30.

With no one winning the Powerball earlier in the week, we all said we’d buy lotto tickets at random towns on the way home. It’s always the random small town gas station that has the winning numbers, right?

(Plot twist: we all headed to work this week…lol)

What should be about a 10 hour car ride was more like 11 hours. Oooof. We were so happy to see Homer when we finally got home.

Much like last year, one more day would have been nice, but it was great to have the entire weekend at home to just relax, unpack, get groceries, do laundry and more.

This trip was similar to last year in how we meal planned and spent our time, but the kids did have a bit more freedom and I think we found a good compromise on mixing in family time, girl/guy time, kids time, beach time, and more.

I had a few questions about logistics and travelling with a group, so I hope to get that post out tomorrow.

Thanks for following along on our fun in the sun vacay.

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Posted in Flashback Friday, Travel

Friday Favorites {#178}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

I can’t believe our fall break is almost over.

Ahhh….we’ve had the best week with some of the best people in Santa Rosa (30A), Florida.

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

Here are a few favorite pics from the week:

I ordered some cute cups again this year:

I still love a beach sunset:

My beach hat was perfect:

The kids had a great time…

We had a mom’s night out and we enjoyed our “girl dinner” on Tuesday night.

These girls love to shop…

We had dinner at one of our favorite places…

The “Seaside” sweatshirt cuteness continued from last year.

The boys were around some too…😆

The kids hung out with us long enough to get a photo last night…

We finally got a mom photo:

We got a great group photo too…

Since it was our last day, we were at the beach almost all day yesterday and stuck around for the sunset which was a great way to end the trip.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Here’s our same group last year:

Last year, it was nice to get dressed up and snap some family pics, but we were too tired to tackle that this year. Haha

We still got some great “casual” photos.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Prime Purchases
Fall Front Porch
5 Things in my

Not Just a Mom:

We are hosting our monthly link up on Monday! This month’s topic is money saving tips. Well, that’s great timing with us coming home from vacation. haha

We’d love for you to like up with us and join us.

While we’re always sad to say goodbye to the beach, we are excited for the cooler fall like temps that await us back home.

I hope you have a great weekend! It’s back to reality for us!