Tag: snow

Posted in Friday Favorites, Holidays

Friday Favorites {#246}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, after a somewhat consistent couple of weeks, this week was an odd one. We had no school Monday for Presidents’ Day, went to school on Tuesday, and then we had NTI days due to snow and cold temps Wednesday and Thursday. As I type this, my district said they’d make the call for today this morning. Besides the wacky school week, Hayden has had the flu! He’s doing better now, but he was pretty sick.

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Last Friday was Valentine’s Day.

The kids had practice after school, but when they got home, I had a couple of gifts for them. They both got a few odds and ends, but I bought Hayden a quarter zip from Good Good Golf, and Hadley’s main gift was one of these wristlets from Lululemon. They are all the rage with teen girls right now.

I got Trav a card and chocolates, and he gave me a card and some chocolate covered strawberries.

I had to go to Kroger for my prescription, so while I was there I got the kids some candy, their favorite drinks, and a couple of smaller items like Chapstick. I picked up some cupcakes for dessert.

Anyway, it was a low-key evening, but fun to celebrate a bit.

We really didn’t have much going on last weekend which was perfect timing because I was getting over a sinus infection.

A couple of months ago, we were out with friends at a new pizza place in town. We spotted the private room they had and asked about it. We looked ahead at the UK basketball schedule, and booked the room for last Saturday. The fire was going, there were a few TV’s, serve yourself soft drinks, and we had our own waitress. So, we ordered apps, pizza, and drinks throughout the night. For the room, you had to spend $500. We spent a bit more than that, but we divided it among eight families. So, it was just a fun way to get together and watch a basketball game.

On Monday, since we were off of school, and everyone was still healthy, the kids and I ran some errands and then stopped for lunch at Shake Shack. We were only out and about for a couple of hours, but it was nice doing something with them on a day off. As you know, we’ve had a ton of snow days, but we’re usually at home or Hadley will go to a friend’s house to do her school work. Anyway, it was just a nice afternoon.

I know it’s crazy the amount of snow days and NTI days we’ve had, but our winters aren’t usually this active. While I’m ready for spring, the snowfalls have been pretty and you never know what the next year might bring. We’ve had winters with only a couple inches of snow in the past.

Not a favorite but the NTI days saved me from using sick days to take care of Hayden. Also, the pediatrician’s office feels so odd at this age. Seeing the little kids compared to my teenage boy is bittersweet. We’ve gone to the same pediatrician the kids’ whole lives, and when he walked in to see Hayden, he said, “Well, who is this guy?” haha…I don’t think Hayden’s been there since last spring, so I’m sure he’s grown a bit.

Wednesday night Travis and Hadley went to the UK basketball game and had some great seats. I was receiving lots of texts and messages with people spotting them behind UK’s bench. haha

Last weekend, Hadley and I watched Sweet Home Alabama. That’s one of my favorite movies that I hadn’t seen in years, and it was on Hulu. Hadley really liked it.

Speaking of Reese Witherspoon, I also watched her new movie with Will Farrell, You’re Cordially Invited. One of my favorite comedians, Leanne Morgan is also in it. It’s a quirky and funny movie…but I’m glad it was included in my Prime membership, and I didn’t have to pay extra to watch it.

Favorite Meals:

I kept our dinners pretty simple including sheet pan nachos…

…and a new recipe I tried: Bubble Up Pizza Bake…I didn’t get a picture of it as I assembled it and Hadley baked it…but we all loved it. Per Hadley’s request, I actually might make it again next week and add sausage to the pepperoni.

Favorite Mom Meme:

Man, this is so true, but I also know that in less than two years, they can take themselves wherever they need to go!

Weekly Recap:

This week I had a couple of posts:

Tuesday Talk: Skin Care
Thursday Thoughts: THings I Love

I hope you have a great weekend! Next week, our temps are on the rise, so maybe we’ll get back to some kind of normalcy!

Posted in Friday Favorites, Seasonal

Friday Favorites {#240}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday.

Well, this time last week, I was prepping to go back to school…but as of today, I’ve had a three week winter break. In all my years teaching, I’ve never had a three week winter break!

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

Here are some favorites from the week:

Well, we didn’t do much this week, so I don’t have a ton to share. Most of my favorites are snow day (week) related!

I finally put up my Christmas decorations, and I switched out my “Merry Christmas” garden flag out for my “Let it Snow” flag which is the one I put out in January and for most of February.

I guess it’s a good luck charm…look at our snow (and ice!)…

Sunday, we got about six inches of snow followed by some ice. On Monday, it snowed even more and my teacher work day was canceled.

Tuesday was to be the kids’ first day back to school, but since it was a snow day, I made our traditional snowman pancakes! Trav’s farm didn’t have power, so he was home too to enjoy this breakfast too.

On Sunday and Monday, the kids bundled up and went sledding with friends. They had lots of fun.

I got this mug out of my cabinet for my morning coffee. Our neighborhood looked like a winter wonderland.

Last weekend, I went to Trader Joe’s for a few things, and they had their wreaths out, so I picked one up. Usually, I get their fresh garland for the front porch at Christmas, but we never decorated outside this year. This wreath is pretty, and it looks pretty with the snow.

I spy Homer…

Ice, ice baby! While I was outside taking a couple icicle pics, I heard a snap and I looked up to see a huge section of our neighbor’s tree fall with a thud in a neighbor’s yard. The top 1/3rd of the tree was leaning on the electrical line. Thankfully, we didn’t lose power.

One thing I love about being home in the summer and on other breaks is just making “snack plates” for lunch.

Sprite “chill” is so good, and I love the rosemary almonds from Trader Joe’s. I’d saved a recipe I saw on Instagram for a cream cheese dip. I made it on Sunday and snacked on it all week. It’s just cream cheese, chopped up pickle, dried beef (I never know what this is — I just always buy the little beef lunch meat packets), salt and pepper. Mix it all together…and we’ve been on a Wheat Thins kick around here.

After taking quite the workout break the past couple of months, I’m making it a goal to work out as much as possible in January. I went to the gym one day with Hayden and then with Hadley another day. It was a pretty walk to and from the car.

I was really dragging my feet putting up the Christmas decorations…I guess because I wanted a week of enjoying them after we got home from KC…and it’s an effort getting the tubs up and down from the attic. Then, as the days went on, I realized I had time to put it off. haha!

Anyway, I took everything down one day, and then put out my regular decor the next.

Trav had his brother take the kids’ pics last year, and I just never put this one out. I found a spot for it, and my Gma gave me this candle stick that my great great grandfather made. I like the juxtaposition of old and new.

Last night, a few of us moms got together to chat and we played Play Nine for a few hours. The general consensus was that we all needed out of the house (and have a break from our families?! #maybe)

Favorite Mom Meme:

There’s never been a meme more “Hadley” than this one:

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

2014 – the first year of the froggy hats. #myfave

Share Our Lives:

We have our first Share Our Lives link up of 2025!

This month’s topic is…saving time on chores.

If you have a blog, we’d love to have you join us.

Weekly Recap:

I had a great week of blogging…

Prime Purchases
New Year, Same me
Throwback Thursday: Snow Days

Well, more snow is on the way today! Will we go to school on Monday? Only time will tell.

Stay warm,

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#99}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Well, this week was definitely different. Monday-Wednesday I was in charge of our Extended School Services program for tutoring and credit recovery after school. That meant I didn’t get home from school most days until 7:00.

Then, we had an NTI day yesterday due to the incoming ice storm. All day, we got tons of cold rain, and no ice. That being said, the temps went below freezing after dinner, so freezing rain and sleet began to tap on the windows. Snow may even round out the storm.

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

With the hectic pace of life lately, I’m trying to acknowledge the small favorites in each day. So here we go…

Friday:

We’ve had quite the winter and last Friday evening we got the prettiest snowfall.

Saturday:

Hayden had a basketball game on Saturday, and it was a close one! His team came out on top, and they were excited to get the win.

Sunday:

We are still trying to bounce back from the Chiefs loss on Sunday (and it’s a little rough living so close to Bengals territory! 🤪). That being said, Homer was in the football spirit on Sunday!

…and I still say we have the cutest Chiefs fans.

I hope they have lots of memories cheering fro KC sports together!

Monday:

I was really bringing my “A game” at the beginning of the week, and made Shay’s Turkey Tortilla Soup in the slow cooker. I didn’t get home from school until 7, so it was nice to have this delicious soup waiting for us for dinner.

Tuesday:

On Tuesday, the kids brought home their Honor Roll certificates for last quarter. We’re really proud of their effort!

Hayden’s was all crumpled in his backpack which is a step above last quarter when he threw it away rather than show me the certificate. Hadley’s was nice and neat in her binder which is about the only things she has organized.

Wednesday:

How sweet is this photo? Hadley was so excited because she gets to help at cousin Layla’s dance class this semester. Hadley said her favorite part was that the little kids just randomly come up and give hugs!

Thursday:

After three long days of work, I was happy to have a low key day at home for NTI. Even better was finding my Girl Scout cookie order on my doorstep in the afternoon.

This is the first year in six years that Hadley didn’t sell cookies. I’m happy to support the other troops, and we all have our favorite cookies.

The new cookie this year is the Adventureful cookie. It’s so good.

Favorite Kid Quote(s):

Both the kids had their funny moments this week.

Favorite Hayden Quotes:

  • Upon hearing the Tom Brady news, Hayden said, “Well, it’s time. He’s basically dad’s age and playing with 25 year olds!” When I said it must be hard to walk away from the game after so many years, Hayden continued with, “See ya, Tom! Mom, do you know how many times Tom has broken my heart?!”

Also, last Saturday, Travis was out of town and Hadley was at a friend’s for the night.

  • Hayden was saying goodnight to Homer and he said, “Mom, I read somewhere that dogs sometimes yawn when they are stressed.” I said, “Oh really?” He followed up with, “Homer yawns around Hadley a lot.” 🤣

Hadley Quote:

Hadley is always more helpful to Hayden than he is to her. She offered to get him dessert one evening this week.

  • As she handed him his bowl of ice cream, she said, “Here you go peasant.” 😆 That must be a vocab word this week!

Favorite Mom Meme:

This made me laugh out loud. There are so many nights I don’t want to cook dinner, but I do so anyway.

Between chain supply issues and our ongoing winter weather, the grocery store has been hit or miss. I’m so happy if there are at least substitutions!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

How about this sweet snow day pic from 2013?

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including the books I read in January, a few Amazon purchases, and my Valentine’s Day decor.

What I’ve Been Reading
PRime Purchases
Valentine’s DAy Decor

To wrap up today’s post…my favorites for today include that fact that we have a good old fashioned snow day and the Olympics start!

I hope wherever you are, that you stay safe and warm! See you back here on Monday.

Thanks so much for reading.

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#97}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Happy Friday! How was your week? You know how sometimes the short weeks feel the longest? Well, a short week due to a Monday holiday and two snow days sure did make this week feel long. I’m not mad about a few snow days, but my family just still isn’t really in a routine which can make the days seem extra crazy and extra long.

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

This week, I’m sharing my favorites day by day.

Saturday:

My favorite from Saturday was the cookie cake Travis and the kids got me for my birthday. I love that tradition, and of course, the cookie cake was delish.

Sunday:

A big WIN for the Chiefs was a favorite of mine…and a favorite for Hayden too!

Monday:

An obvious favorite from Monday was having the three day weekend.

It also would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. Have you seen Google? When you type in her name, roses float down the screen. What a tribute!

Have you seen this post? What a beautiful sentiment.

Also, Hadley had been wanting to watch Sing 2, so we did that. It is such a sweet movie. We all loved it.

Tuesday:

Well, Tuesday was a snow day, but it was a NTI (non-traditional instruction) day for us….our first ever NTI snow day. The kids did a great job completing their work, and we are thankful to not have to add these days to the end of the year.

In the evening, I met up with my friend for drinks and an appetizer. She gave me the sweetest birthday gift. It was so great to catch up with her.

Wednesday:

Wednesday, we had school…which was honestly a favorite. I’m in the midst of planning our school’s credit recovery session, and I needed to get quite a few things accomplished.

Then, I had a great surprise when I get home. My new T3 curling iron arrived. Do you follow @mommaflum (another teacher named Jennifer!) on Instagram? A couple of weeks ago she shared some of the T3 products that she loves because T3 had a sale going on. I messaged her to ask about the curling iron, and she realized it wasn’t on sale. Anyway, over the weekend, she messaged me to say the curling iron was on sale which I thought was so sweet of her to do. I would never spend $160 on this, but with the sale, it was $100 off, so I used birthday money to treat myself.

Hadley has already used it! I’m going to give it a try over the weekend.

Thursday:

Well, we woke up to about 3 inches of snow which meant another NTI day.

…and snow cream for a mid-morning snack!

Part Husky Homer thinks the snow is so fun, and we love watching him run laps in the backyard!

I love snow too! If it’s going to be cold, then I’m all about the snow. By mid-February, I will be ready for spring.

Favorite Mom Meme:

I’m Team Forever Needs a Nap!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This photo from 2016 popped up in my Facebook memories yesterday. I remember taking this photo on a snow day. Hadley has always been able to sleep anywhere, and she sure was worn out!

Weekly Recap:

I had a few posts this week including a recap of the weekend, sharing my favorite cookbooks, and some quick lunch ideas.

Weekend Wrap Up
Favorite Cookbooks
Let’s Lunch

Well, as I finished typing this, we got the call that we have another NTI day today. While the roads are in better condition than the snow earlier this week, the temps are frigid and some side streets are still icy. Honestly, I think our sub shortage is also an issue. Maybe next week will be more “normal.”

This weekend, Hayden has some basketball, and then we’ll be cheering for the Chiefs and hoping for another win.

Thanks so much for reading!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#95}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello from snowy Kentucky! Today, is snow day #2 in a row, and with no school on Monday, we had a very short week of school.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for the first Friday Favorites of 2 0 2 2 !

Favorite Moment(s):

After a hectic first week of break, it was nice to finally have time to do things that we normally don’t have time to do. Also, we had extra family time which is great too.

We saw the new Spider-Man movie, went for a hike at Red River Gorge, and went to Cincinnati for the Chiefs vs. Bengals game.

Our favorite moment from this week was the snow day yesterday! They were forecasting snow, and I thought we may have an early release, but as the time got closer, the forecast for snow was earlier, so we had no school.

We woke up to no snow, flurries around 10:00, and then inches (and inches!) of snow by noon.

The kids played outside quite a bit, and they went sledding too.

The forecast was for 4-8 inches, but kept getting bumped up. Yesterday afternoon, I measured 6 inches of snow and then the official total was over 9 inches by evening.

I’m always thankful that a snow day means not having to go anywhere. There were hundreds of people stranded for hours and hours on 64 and 75 due to collisions yesterday. Travis came home around 1:00, and even the main roads were backed up.

We celebrated the kids great report cards for 2nd quarter (and Hayden making the basketball team) with the You are Special red plate at dinner this week.

Favorite Picture:

My favorite picture this week is from Sunday at the Chiefs game. Unfortunately, the Chiefs lost, but it was a good game, and we had fun.

Favorite Food:

I’ve been able to meal plan and meal prep this week. We’ve had some great meals.

This week we’ve eaten:

Giada’s pasta was delish:

Another favorite food this week was our traditional snow day pancakes. I make these snowman pancakes every year on the first snow day!

Clothing Item:

I ordered these snow pants in just the knick of time. Hadley’s still fit, but Hayden’s didn’t. My kids usually get a couple years out of these, and I just buy the next size up as they grow. I ordered teal for Hadley and navy for Hayden.

Speaking of staying warm. I’m loving my new puffer coat from Walmart. I have a heavy winter coat, and this quilted one is a little lighter. I ordered it in dusky green which appears to be out of stock at the moment.

The orchid ice color has many size options. And there are plus size color and size options.

Favorite Kid Quote:

No specific funny quote, but the kids have been practicing presenting their science projects. They worked hard on them, and they have to share them with their classmates next week!

Favorite Memes:

Usually I share a “Mom Meme,” but these two “flashback” ones made me laugh.

I remember calling my mom at her school, speaking with the receptionist who would have to page my mom for the phone call. Then, I would have to wait for my mom to walk up to the front office to talk on the phone. As the years went on, she’d eventually have a phone in her room, and the secretary would connect me, but still more effort than texting nowadays.

This one is timely…this is the first school year the kids could know about school closing before bed. There have been years I knew school had been called off, and I would just send them to bed anyway. Wednesday night, they got the texts too saying “no school.”

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

In honor of all the snow, here’s a flashback to January 2014…the froggy hats slay me!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from last week and this week:

2021 Year in Review
Christmas recap
Winter Break Recap
Prime Purchases
Currently

Not Just A Mom:

Monday is the first NJAM link up with these ladies:

Our topic is favorite bloggers. We’d love to have you join us…either by linking up or reading our posts 🙂

I hope you have a great weekend. I guess we got a surprise four day weekend, and I’m looking forward to enjoying it.

Thanks so much for reading! See you back here on Monday!

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#55}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! This has felt like such a long week. Sometimes I feel like when we have a Monday off, the week seems longer! Also, since we’ve been mostly home all week due to the weather, some days feel like the length of two!

I’m not sure if Andrea and Erika are hosting their weekly Friday Favorites post as I know they’ve been without power and haven’t posted much this week. My thoughts are with those throughout the country dealing with the ongoing winter weather.

I feel blessed that we have had power all week, and that storms two and three in the past week brought more snow than ice here in Kentucky!

Here are some of my favorites from the week.

Favorite Moment:

My favorite moment from the week was that we had an actual SNOW DAY on Tuesday. We received the phone call on Monday afternoon that we’d have a good old fashioned, non-virtual learning, snow day! It was so nice to know we didn’t have to set alarms, we could be lazy most of the day, and we could just take a break from virtual learning.

I try to stay pretty positive on here, but let me just say that I needed a break from being teacher/mom/home school teacher, and Tuesday provided just that.

We still had some snow and ice on the ground from the storm last Thursday, and then Monday-Tuesday, we got quite a few more inches of snow.

Favorite Pic:

My favorite pic is of this Snow Squad with their brightly colored sleds! Travis wins dad of the year for taking these kids sledding on Tuesday. They had so much fun.

Favorite Food:

My two favorite foods from the week both included biscuits, cinnamon, and sugar, so what’s not to love?!

On Monday morning, I made Bev’s Cinnamon Biscuit Bake. It was just the right amount for the four of us to have for breakfast, and it was so good.

In my Tuesday Talk post earlier in the week, I asked for Air Fryer ideas, and a couple of friends told me about Air Fryer donuts. I made them yesterday for us to have for breakfast. They were so good, and I made them in less than ten minutes from start to finish!

Favorite Clothing Item:

I was on the hunt for some black joggers. I found these on Amazon a couple of weeks ago, and have been wearing them quite often. They are comfy and stylish. I’ve worn with with tennis shoes, but I even wore them with a sweater and my leopard flats to church last week.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Hadley cracked me up on Sunday night as she headed for bed. She thanked me for a great Valentine’s Day and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, mom or as us single people say, “Happy Gal-entine’s Day!” I couldn’t stop laughing!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Two favorite mom memes this week:

I feel this one deeply, y’all…

and this…although we don’t have stairs, so I make piles on the kitchen table that everyone ignores!

Other Faves from the Week:

I purchased a cookie decorating kit, and the kids decorated these for dessert one night. Hadley takes her time and tries to make the cookies look cute while Hayden tends to put on as much icing as he can!

One of the kids’ Valentine’s Day presents from us was the Bananagrams game. We’ve been playing it pretty often, and it’s even a game you can play by yourself!

Homer is still skittish coming up the stairs in the snow, but he sure loves to play in it!

Honestly, another favorite for me has been the snow. I love winter, and the snow has been so pretty. Of course, if we were without power or if I had to get out and drive in the weather because of work, I’d feel differently. The snow has been fun for the kids to play in (they’ve been able to sled three times this week!), and it’s certainly better than if we’d gotten tons of ice!

That being said, our extended forecast calls for 50 degree weather next week, and I’m definitely fine with that too after having so much winter weather the past two weeks!

snowflakes were *still* flying yesterday afternoon

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

This Kindergarten President’s Day craft popped up in my Facebook memories. Hayden as George Washington 😂…so funny and cute!

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from this week in case you missed one!

Weekend Wrap UP
Tuesday Talk
Etsy Gifts

Well, we still have a couple days of cold temperatures and possibly a little more precipitation today, but then hopefully we will have a chance to recover from all of the winter weather.

Truly, I know that there are so many people dealing with loss of power, bursting pipes, treacherous travel situations (and more!) across the country. Prayers and warm wishes for those dealing with this unrelenting wintry weather.

Stay safe, warm, and have a great weekend.

Thanks so much for reading,

{this post contained an Amazon affiliate link..}

Posted in Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#47}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday! How’s it going? We’ve had a good week around here, and it actually felt like winter! We are back in a school groove with only a few evening activities, and we’ve been enjoying the holiday season so far.

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

Favorites from this week:

Angel Tree:

Purchasing gifts for families on the angel tree is one of our favorite family traditions. It’s fun to let the kids pick out gifts for the kids on the list. As a family, we sponsored a boy and girl and then Hayden and Hadley’s pod also bought presents for a family as well. Of course, I try to instill in the kids to always be grateful and always help those in need…not just during the holidays.

Black Friday Discounts:

I’ve never been a Black Friday shopper, but we took advantage of a sale at a local retailer once I saw that our weather was taking a turn to the colder side early this week. Hadley’s coat was 50% off and Hayden’s was 30% off. My kids know I love a coupon and a discount. I tell them they should never purchase anything full price. 😆

Candles:

After picking out the kids’ coats, I made a stop in Bath and Body Works and picked up some holiday season candles. They had buy 3, get 3 free, so I picked up two hand soaps, two 3-wick candles, and then 2 single wick candles. On my way to the register a nice customer handed me a coupon for a free single wick candle, so I ended up with a third candle! I was very appreciative.

I always pick up the ‘Winter’ candle every year. It has such a clean and fresh smell. I love it so much.

Running Buddies:

The weather was warm enough on Sunday for a run, and I looked out the window to see Trav and Hayden stretching after their afternoon jog. They looked like twins! Homer didn’t get the invite for the run!

Turkey Rice Soup:

We usually use the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving for soup on the Friday after Thanksgiving…but I didn’t end up making the soup until Sunday. It was the perfect Sunday night dinner.

SnOMG:

Monday and Tuesday mornings we woke up to snow! I knew there was talk of colder weather and some precipitation, but I was still surprised to see measurable amounts of snow both mornings.

We got those Christmas lights up just in time!

I usually make snowman pancakes on the first snow day of the season. With virtual school for the foreseeable future, I’m not sure we’ll get a traditional snow day any time soon. So, I went ahead and made snowman pancakes for the kids on Monday morning.

Tuesday’s snow stuck around for a couple days and was enough to play in. The kids dressed accordingly for recess at the pod and then Hadley played with her friend in the snow for a couple hours after school. Hayden did as well, but he was nowhere to be found when I wanted to take a snowy pic!

Homer:

I found Homer on the couch all snuggled up on Tuesday afternoon. Both kids swear they didn’t cover him with the blanket, so who knows! Homer is either into trouble or snoozing! There’s rarely an in between.

Starbucks:

I made not one, but two trips to Starbucks this week. I wanted something warm to drink, but I’d already had my morning coffee; so, I ordered a London Fog tea during both visits! So good. I enjoyed them from the quiet of my classroom.

Winter Decorations:

Over the weekend, I put out our Christmas decorations. I couldn’t help myself, and I did make a trip (or two) to Michaels. I use most of the same decorations each year. This year, I actually did take the time to get rid of the fall decorations I haven’t used in recent years and will do the same when I put these winter decorations away in January.

I picked up two of these crock lanterns and put tealights in them. I also purchased four snow covered swags for our front windows and a few other items. Of course, everything was 50% off and teachers get an additional 10% off all their orders, so I used that as well.

I purchased the basket with wreath at TJ Maxx.

Christmas lanterns // swags

The Return of Red:

Red doesn’t come until December in our house, and he made his arrival right on time on December 1st. On the second night, he left the kids their “Want, Need, Wear, Read” list to fill out, so he can report back to Santa.

He filled in a couple of “needs” for them 😉

GG:

My mom is in town visiting and took over virtual school yesterday. With over 30 years experience teaching 7th grade English we knew the kids would be well supervised.

Favorite gift idea:

I debated on sharing this as to not give away a gift for a few family members, so I will just share this sneak peek.

Every year since my kids were born, I’ve ordered this desk calendar from Vistaprint for my immediate family. I always place the order on Cyber Monday because they offer a great discount. Once my brother and sister-in-law had their kids, we started to include their photos too.

I upload the photos (and we use the same pattern of January is a pic of my kids, February includes a pic of my niece and nephew and then some months, like October, is the four kids) I placed this order late Monday night, and it already arrived yesterday! As usual, it turned out perfectly, and we can’t wait to give it to them. (I even order one for myself and my brother’s family)

Like I said, I’m sure my family is expecting this gift. It’s one I love giving, and they love receiving.

Selfies:

Found this gem on my phone, and it made me smile!

Friday Funny:

Y’all, I feel this deeply. haha

My brother decided to remind me this week that I’m almost 41. Wow…40 has gone by quickly!

Favorite Mom Meme:

Tis the season for my kids to think we are millionaires 😅

Weekly Recap:

Thanksgiving Recap
Amazon Lately
Tis the Season

Looking back, I sure shared a hodge podge of faves from the week. All things considered, we had a pretty good week. Now, bring on the weekend!

Thanks so much for reading, and don’t forget to check out the other ladies’ posts too!

Take care,