Trader Joes

Friday Favorites, Kids

Friday Favorites {#138}

Posted on December 9, 2022December 8, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

Wow! I feel like this week flew by. Did you feel that way too?

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

Favorite Moment:

Last Friday, we headed to Knoxville because Hayden had a race on Saturday. This was the final race of club season, and he was running in the AAU National Championship.

Last year, the race was in Paris, KY, closer to home….but we’d had tons of rain which provided for a very muddy course.

2021:

While Knoxville wasn’t that muddy, it was muddy enough that Travis taped his runners’ spikes on their feet with duct tape. #protip.

2022:

When we were figuring out what time we needed to be there, I confirmed with Travis who said, “No, that’s when the 11-12 year olds run.” I looked at him confused, and he said, “Hayden is 13!” Well, I guess I’d forgotten that…and also didn’t realize he’d already bump up in age.

Hayden ran a great race and was one second off of a PR. That being said, the conditions and course was harder than where he ran the PR. Travis said he was probably 20-30 seconds faster than the PR race. Needless to say, we were proud of his effort and he placed 34th.

Thomson Training has running groups in Louisville, northern KY and Travis coaches one of the Lexington groups. He was proud of all of his runners. (only a few pictured below)

…and the 13-14 boys were the National Champions!

…and Thomson Training won overall National Champs!

So proud of all the runners, and Hayden capped off his season with a great performance.

Favorite Pic:

I love these pics of Hayden and Travis. It’s been so fun to watch Hayden improve while Travis has been by his side.

Fave pit stop:

On the way home from Knoxville, we stopped at Buc-ees because Travis and Hayden had never been. We picked up lots of snacks!

Favorite Food(s):

Hadley had told me about these cookies (I joked that they are when Pinterest and Tik Tok collide), and she made them on Sunday. You just buy the “break and bake” chocolate chip cookies, press them down, and add the Christmas sugar cookie on top. She wanted to find the Christmas tree ones, but all we found were elf hats.

Anyway, they were cute and tasty!

I made a bit stop in Trader Joe’s this week to pick up fruit…and realized I hadn’t shopped for some of my favorites yet this holiday season.

Last year, I missed out on Jingle Jangle, so I was happy to see they still had it in stock. The “Step Up to the Bar” mix and the mini iced gingerbread people are my two faves. I usually pick up Peppermint Joes, but decided to try these chocolate covered ones…they are so good too!

Favorite Kid Quote:

The other day, I picked Hayden up from school. As I turned into the median to merge, there was a car in the right lane. Hayden looked out the window, smiled, and said, “What’s up dog?” I didn’t think anything of it until I passed the car, and there was a miniature pinscher in the lady’s lap. I literally laughed out loud. I didn’t realize when he said that that there was an actual dog in the car. haha

Favorite Clothes:

Did you see my post on Wednesday? I can’t wait to wear my new sweater and cropped faux leather pants ASAP.

Favorite Mom Meme(s):

I do think this is what causes some of my anxiety/stress. Having kid with a November birthday followed by Christmas is always just a lot!

Hadley always wins for most amount of laundry…and I swear even if she wears something for a half hour, it goes in the laundry. Hayden probably does have a few things that just fall off the hangers into the dirty clothes!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

Have I ever shared this pic before? I don’t think I have? It always pops up this week in my Facebook memories. While Hayden came home from the hospital with us, Hadley stayed in the NICU for 13 days. Travis had gone with Hadley to the NICU right after she was delivered. I remember Travis and the dr. at my bedside while I was in recovery. The dr. said she’d probably be in the NICU for 12-14 days. Well, on day 13 she came home, and we were officially a family of four…at home.

Hayden weighed 4 lbs, 7 oz, and Hadley weighed 4 lbs. I had them at 36 weeks, and did think they’d weigh a bit more based on my appointments and ultrasounds in weeks leading up to their arrival.

Anyway, Sis has always been the sassy and self-sufficient one, and I think it’s because she started off being a fighter.

Weekly Recap:

I had a busy blogging week! Here are my posts:

Not Just a Mom:

On Monday, we have our final Not Just a Mom post of 2023!

This month’s topic is Loving Lately. If you have a blog, we’d love to have you join us on Monday.

What are your weekend plans? We have volleyball and a holiday party this weekend. We’re also hoping to tackle the science fair projects. *sigh* They get a bad rap…I know we need science (obviously), but for me it’s the timing. They are always due right after break. If they could do them in January, I swear I wouldn’t complain like I do. It’s just one more *big* task to tackle in an already busy season. (They do the work themselves, but they still need to get organized, buy supplies, type, print, organize the board, and more!)

One week from today starts our break…and I can’t wait. I keep telling myself, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

See you back here on Monday for Not Just a Mom. Thanks so much for reading.

Trader Joes

Twenty Minutes in Trader Joe’s

Posted on February 24, 2022February 23, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Y’all know that my love for Trader Joe’s runs deep. I used to go every few weeks and then every other week, and now I’m to the point that I pop in there once a week.

I’ve shared Trader Joe’s hauls before, but this is a peek at what I grabbed during a quick pit stop at my favorite place.

Tortillas:

These Carb Savvy tortillas are the perfect size for my lunches. I use them for shrimp tacos..

or sandwich rollups with a slice of cheese, turkey, arugula, red pepper, and some mustard.

Those are two of my favorite lunches.

In the frozen section:

We all love the Chicken Fried Rice, but that’s usually Hadley’s #1 request (besides a box of the White Cheddar Shells mac and cheese)
Amy suggested these Mini French Baguettes, and oh my word…they are great! I put them in the air fryer and served them with our pasta dinner the other night.

*I typically buy so many things from the freezer section, but we were stocked up on mini tacos, taquitos, nuggets, and more.

Leafy greens:

I usually buy a bagged salad or two, but this time, I picked up arugula (for my sandwich roll ups and quick salads), chopped lettuce for tacos, and then one of my favorite bagged salads: Southwestern Chopped Salad. (This bag provides 2-3 lunches)

Meats and (and sometimes cheese):

I don’t always buy Prosciutto, but I thought that it sounded good on some arugula with shaved Parm and a squeeze of lemon. That’s a “go to” dinner salad for me sometimes.
Hayden loves Chomps, so I always pick up a few each week for him to snack on.
I also, love the Havarti Dill Cheese. I am trying to be better about limiting dairy, so I didn’t pick any up this time.

Produce:

I’ve shared many times how much I rely on Kroger’s Clicklist, and also that I’ve never minded them picking out my produce. That being said, once I started going to Trader Joe’s almost weekly, I decided to do Clicklist for 80% of my groceries, and then just pick up most of my produce on my own while at TJ’s. This has worked out really well, so I will continue doing this if I know I will be visiting Trader Joe’s during the week. So, I typically pick up:

strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and English cucumbers (Hadley and I love those). I also love the bags of small Honeycrisp apples that Trader Joe’s has, so I usually pick those up each week, but didn’t need any this time.

Dips and chips:

Trader Joe’s has an awesome chip and cracker selection, but this time I only picked up the Corn Chip Dippers. I got two bags because the kids love them, and I need one bag for an upcoming dinner.
The Vegan Tzatsiki Dip and the Buffalo Chicken Dip are two faves. The Tzatsiki Dip is perfect with crackers, and the Buffalo Chicken Dip is a hit with the corn chips. That being said, I’m using both to eat with veggies.

Sweet treats:

I usually pick up a sweet treat for Hadley’s lunchbox or dessert at home. Trader Joe’s has (too) many wonderful options. My kids love the Molasses Cookies, Peanut Butter Cups, S’mashing S’mores, and more. These Honey Grahams with Sea Salt are what I picked up this time, and they are wonderful as well.

Flowers and Greenery:

In the spring and summer months, I don’t leave Trader Joe’s without some flowers, and I will occasionally pick up a plant.

I picked up these three on my last Trader Joe’s visit:

…of note: I don’t know most plant and flowers names…I just go with what I like! (Although, when Trader Joe’s briefly has peonies in the summer months, I stock up! I love peonies)

The small flower is perfect for my kitchen island tray.
The roses were perfect for February, and…
I knew I wanted a plant for the new stool that I purchased.

…but then I couldn’t decide which one looked better on the stool.

I settled on the plant, and put the roses on the tray on my coffee table. I like to move things around, so I may mix it up.

So, those were the items I got from my quick stop into Trader Joe’s. Honestly, this was more like Ten Minutes in Trader Joe’s, but I didn’t want to brag! 😉

What are some of your favorite Trader Joe’s items?

See you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites!

Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites {#49}

Posted on December 18, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

I know I always say, “Hello and Happy Friday,” but today’s “Hello and Happy Friday” comes with the start of Winter Break in only a few hours. I’m so ready to take a break from bugging my kids about school work, checking my email, and staring at my imperfections on a Zoom call. 😆

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

Favorite Kid Quote:

On Sunday, when it was Hayden’s turn to clean out his closet, he kept asking me if certain clothing items were “memorabilia” because he hates getting rid of things…and knows I’m a sucker for holding on to certain nostalgic items. 😂

Also, randomly, Hayden started calling his winter hat a “toboggan” or “boggan.” I know that in the south that’s what many people here call their beanie (or stocking cap as I would say), but I just thought it was funny that he was “looking for my boggan” the other day when I certainly don’t say that phrase, and honestly, neither does Travis.

Where I come from, a toboggan is a fancy sled! This has been a winter conversation ever since I met Travis almost 20 years ago and he called his hat a “toboggan.” I said, “What?! You wear a sled on your head?!”

Favorite Pic:

I took advantage of Narci’s sweet Santa photo opportunity earlier this week. These pics are just precious. This morning, my kids found our elf sitting by this one framed with a note: “Seven more sleeps ’til Santa!”

The magic of Christmas.

Favorite Clothing Item:

I rarely go into Old Navy. While I like the clothes and love their deals, the line to wait to check out is always maddening to me. Through the years, it doesn’t matter if I’m there in June or December, 10:00 am or 8:00 pm, two people in line or twelve…the line just always takes forever. Maybe Chick-fil-A could give them some tips! 😂

So, I usually order online and just hope everything fits! That being said, I did go into Old Navy recently and saw these jogger pajama pants on sale. (looks like stock is limited) I snagged two for myself, and have been living in them. Just my style! I also love their thermal pajama leggings and have a few pairs that I’ve collected through the years as well.

Favorite Food:

I made a quick Trader Joe’s run this week and walked out with a few tins of my favorite snack mix and a couple of boxes of the mini gingerbread people. We plowed through our last box in a day and a half.

Favorite Moment:

The kids wrapped up their club cross country season at a national race last weekend. Before the race, we found out that Hayden made the all-area team and Hadley earned all-area honorable mention honors for their elementary running season (with Trav as their coach!)

On Saturday, they ran in the 11-12 year old races with kids from across the country. They ended the season on a high note with individual performances, and the girls team placed 5th in the nation!

Of course, I’m always proud of their effort, but the competition is fierce in these national races. There are kids who run hundreds of miles a week for training and compete year round. While running will most likely be something they continue to do in the future, we still feel that it’s important for them to be well-rounded and choose their activities. So, for Hadley, she dances, runs, plays volleyball. Hayden still loves baseball and basketball on top of running.

The lessons they learn by playing these sports and engaging in these activities are far more important than their performance. I never want them to get burned out at a young age with one activity, so we’ve continued to let them choose and add or drop sports as the years go on.

Other Favorites:

Jingle Jangle:

This could also have been a “favorite moment” because of the kindness of others. I’d shared on Facebook that I was sad to have missed out on Jingle Jangle at Trader Joe’s this year. Not even a half hour a later, a friend dropped off a tin of it on our front porch with their Christmas card. So sweet. (literally and figuratively!)

Frosty Fern:

I also picked up a couple of these “Frosty Ferns” at Trader Joe’s. They are so festive and fun.

Snacks:

Hadley helped me put out snacks for our mailman and the delivery drivers who frequent our doorstep!

Air Fryer:

No photo, but another favorite of mine is our new air fryer. Travis won one in his work Christmas exchange, and we’ve been using it quite a bit. I’ve only used the “frozen” setting so far, but it’s been the perfect way to make chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, or reheat a day old taco!

Pod Party:

The kids had a sock exchange and cocoa party at their pod this week. They had lots of fun and came home with some festive socks!

Festive Phone Wallpaper:

I’ve shared these phone wallpaper backgrounds before by @ashton.creates. She shares them in her stories to screenshot and use. This one is my current home screen on my phone.

Basketball:

Hayden’s 3 on 3 league wrapped up their short season last night. It was fun to watch them play and have some sense of “normalcy” this winter.

The final game came down to the wire, but they remained undefeated!

Favorite Mom Meme:

While this one made me laugh, I am feeling pretty good about my Christmas present situation. Now, I just need to find the time to wrap!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

Christmas 2009….and barely a month old!

Speaking of flashbacks…Hadley loves finding my old sweatshirts and wearing them. She often wears my 20 year old Mizzou sweatshirt from college, and has now added this cheer coach sweatshirt from my first year teaching in 2002. If you know me, you know I’m the farthest thing you’ll find from a cheer coach!! #nopepinmystep Oh, the things you’ll do to get your first real job!

Weekly Recap:

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

Not Just A Mom: holiday Traditions

Tuesday Talk: holiday Edition

Currently

What are your weekend plans? We are going see some more Christmas lights tonight and hopefully bake some cookies tomorrow or Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Thanks so much for reading,

Clothes, Friday Favorites, Health and Fitness

Friday Favorites {#24}: Things I’ve been Loving

Posted on April 24, 2020August 20, 2021 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and of course, Happy Friday. Y’all we made it through another week. This was definitely our easiest week so far. The kids were able to do their schoolwork with minimal help from us, and the weather was pretty nice all week allowing us to get outside a bit more than we did last week.

Of course, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites, so check out their posts too.

For this edition of Friday Favorites, I thought I’d share some things I’ve been loving. A few items I’ve been using for quite some time and others have been recent purchases #quarantinemademedoit

All of these items are, of course, my favorites. ❤️

Health and Beauty

After seeing quite a few people promote the Billie razors, I thought I’d give them a try. I signed up for an every other month subscription ($9+free shipping). This cute box arrived on my doorstep in a matter of days with my starter kit inside. I chose the blush colored razor, and it came with the magic holder and two other blades. The starter kit also included a Wonder Wipe sample that removes makeup and a sample of the Sudsy Body Wash. I will receive four new blades in my June shipment. I do really like this product so far. The razors provide a smooth, clean shave, and I love the magic holder as it’s a magnet that sticks right to my shower wall.

At only $9, I felt good with trying these razors out. I may switch to a monthly subscription, but I thought every other month was a good place to start!

As I’ve mentioned before, I always have my nails painted. I usually stick with OPI Bubble Bath or Funny Bunny which are neutral colors. Andrea has shared about her base and top coats that she uses, and I’ve used them for quite some time now. I feel like the top coat definitely helps an at home manicure last longer. Of course, going to my regular nail place isn’t even an option right now, so I’ve been using my own at home supplies more and more recently.

Nail Polish post

base and top coat polish

Admittedly, I haven’t been putting forth a lot of effort in the hair and makeup department recently, but I’ve been using the Revlon One-Step Dryer since January after receiving it for a birthday present. I’m sure you’ve seen others talk about it or review it, and most everyone seems to love it. Me too. That being said, it’s definitely not something I can use on sopping wet hair. I have always let my hair air dry almost to 75% before using a blow dryer, in the past, or the One-Step Dryer now. So if your hair is mostly dry, this is certainly easier to use.

I find that it gives my hair so much more body and fullness. In the past, I would blow dry my hair with a round brush, then use a straightener where needed and then add some curls with my curling iron. Of course, all of that, is a lot of heat on my hair. Now, I can completely skip the straightener step. Sometimes, I don’t even put curl in my hair because my hair already has enough volume after using this.

One thing that did surprise me once I saw the One-Step Dryer in person….you’ll get a bit of an arm workout while using it! 😉 It’s a hefty styling tool. That being said, it only takes me a few minutes of use to get my hair how I’d like it.

Another product I’ve used weekly over the past couple months is my Nano Steamer. Again, it was a gift, but it’s one I use in addition to my normal skin care routine. Of course, everyone’s skin is different, and I made sure to read the instructions and even viewed a tutorial video because I wanted to know how to safely use all the features. After just 12-15 minutes of use, my skin always feels so refreshed.

REvlon one-step dryer

Nano STeamer

Shoes, Shoes, and, well…more shoes…

I’ve made a few shoe purchases recently. I kept seeing all kinds of great deals that influencers were sharing, and I couldn’t pass the deals up!

Adidas Retro run sneaker

Adidas REtro run JCP

Jen Reed shared that her retro Adidas were back in stock at DSW, so I snagged them right away. DSW had a code and I purchased mine for $38…and they arrived very quickly!

JC Penney seems to have the same retro shoe with a few other color options as well.

After following Jennifer Todryk for so long, she always shares about the amazing deals shes gets on shoes from Joe’s New Balance Outlet. I now get the New Balance emails and waited until I saw something I liked that was a good deal. My New Balances were only $35!

Then, I used Landyn’s Vici code for a discount on the already reasonably priced sandals she showed one day in her Instagram stories. These sandals seem to be out of stock, but Vici’s shoe and sandal collection has so many cute and affordable options.

I’ve mentioned recently how my sciatica has been bothering me lately, and last time this happened, I had waited too long to purchase new workout shoes. Both of these tennis shoes have already helped with my back pain, and I can tell they are providing my feet with more comfort and support…at least that’s what I tell Travis when he asks why there’s another shoe package on our front porch!

Food and Drinks

This week, I mentioned that I went on a Trader Joe’s run recently. These are some of our family faves! I love the Havarti cheese with dill and the Buffalo Chicken dip.

I also love Trader Joe’s Simpler Wines Rose’ and purchase the four pack in the spring and summer months! It’s a refreshing drink for sure.

Around the House…

Since we are washing our hands on repeat (on repeat, on repeat), I purchased a few new foaming hand soaps from Bath and Body Works. They seem to be having an ongoing 4 for $20 sale. After putting those in my cart, I decided to add in a couple of single wick candles. The soap and candles arrived this week, and both the candles smell heavenly! Also, the candles were 2 for $20, so I was happy to take advantage of that deal as well.

That’s it for my What I’ve Been Loving: Friday Favorites. We are going to take advantage of some nicer weather today before what looks like a soggy weekend!

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

What's up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday

Posted on February 26, 2020May 16, 2020 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! It’s the last Wednesday of the month which means I’m linking up with Sheaffer and Shay for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK:

We were spoiled by the sunshine this weekend, and now we are back to overcast and rainy skies…so I thought soup sounded good. Also, I always try to make something on Sunday that we can have leftovers on Monday. Mondays just always seem so difficult getting in the swing of the week, so not having to think about dinner on Monday evening is always a bonus.

Sunday/Monday: Taco Soup

Tuesday: Trader Joe’s Fried Rice with Honey Walnut Shrimp and Mandarin Orange Chicken. I love Trader Joe’s. What I love most about Trader Joe’s is that I usually just wander the aisles to plan a meal or two. Whereas, when I go to Kroger (or place my online Kroger order), I always feel like I need a list! This was a quick and easy meal last night that we enjoyed overall…but I didn’t love the sauce that came with the shrimp. I wish I had left it off. The chicken (& sauce) was delish!

Wednesday: Baked chicken thighs, bagged salad, and Bob Evans mashed potatoes.

Thursday: We now have a basketball game tomorrow night #tourneytime , so we’ll probably have leftover baked chicken with Trader Joe’s Roasted Potatoes. We’ve never tried these before, so hopefully everyone likes them. Every time I go to TJ’s, I pick up one or two new things to try!

Friday/Saturday night: I’m sure we’ll eat out.

Did you see my Monday Meals post with two quick (and easy!) pasta recipes? Both are delish!

WHAT I AM REMINISCING ABOUT:

I can’t believe we’ve had Homer for almost 9 months. He was about 12 weeks old when we adopted him. So….Homer is almost one! Whew! Homer is a handful…and I tell him every day that he’s lucky he is cute! This week alone, I’ve found him licking my facial cleansing brush, he snatched a glazed donut out of the box on the counter, and he ran around the house with the kitchen towel in his mouth. Also, my hairbrush is missing. He swears he’s innocent and Hadley denies borrowing it…so I’m still on the lookout for it! I swear he’s like having ten toddlers!

February 2020. Sweet (and ornery!) Biscuit

WHAT I AM LOVING:

At the end of the summer, I started buying the single wick candles at Bath and Body Works. I love that the three wick ones are more aromatic but sometimes they were almost too strong of a scent…and the three wick ones take up more space. So, for fall, I bought three single wick fall fragrances and did the same for the holidays. This way, I can place the candles around the house easier since the single wick ones take up less space and provide just enough of a refreshing scent. Of course, I always use a coupon (or hit up a sale) when buying the candles whether it’s the single or three wick ones. (I feel like I just used the work wick more than I should have. Sorry!) These three scents are my newest purchase for spring.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

It’s basketball tournament time, so that sports season is wrapping up. Hayden is prepping for baseball season while Hadley continues to dance two days a week. Both kids went to birthday parties last weekend which kept us busy on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, Hadley attended the Mardi Gras party at our church while Hayden had basketball practice. Next month, Hadley has Academic Team competition, so she’s been prepping for that as well.

WHAT I’M DREADING:

Honestly, I wasn’t dreading it but I was overwhelmed getting Hadley’s Girl Scout cookie orders out. She surpassed her goal of selling 350 cookies by selling 441 boxes of cookies! I just never want to mess up an order, and it’s a lot of money to collect and sort! I’m glad the bulk of the ordering is past us!

WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

I’m working on getting back on track with my eating and exercising. I was off to a good start in 2020 and then I got the flu. After that, my eating was ok but I wasn’t really working out. So, I’m back on my Lean intermittent fasting program combined with carb cycling, tracking my macros, and working out. This program works for me…when I do it! So, getting a handle on my eating window and exercise before spring break is a good goal for me right now.

WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

I’m excited about spring break! It will be here before we know it. We decided to go to NYC…but all we’ve done so far is purchase plane tickets. We are waiting to tell the kids once we firm up our plans/itinerary. What are some “musts” for us while there?? Give me all the ideas, please! I’ve always wanted to visit NYC in the fall, but we didn’t have our act together at that point to plan a trip. I’m excited to take the kids as I think they will enjoy it and appreciate it…and are able to walk/keep up with whatever we do.

WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

Y’all, I’m in a slump. Or a February Funk…I started two books this month and haven’t finished either. I like them…I just have been so tired at night, I go straight to bed. Plus, our weekends have been a bit busy, so I don’t know…I’m not off to a solid start with reading in 2020. The two books I’m reading are The Broken Girls (on my Kindle) and American Royals (hardback). Again, I’m really liking them and hope to finish them this week…and start fresh in March. Do you have any good book recommendations?

I’m excited for Good Girls Season 3. The show just started back, and I hope to get caught up on it this weekend. There aren’t many shows Travis and I watch together, but that’s one of them!

Also, I found a show Up and Vanished on the Oxygen Channel on Hulu and have watched a few episodes.

And…we watched about half of Jurassic Park earlier this week…It’s one of those I remember watching as a kid and thought Hayden and Hadley would like it…but when I looked over to see Hadley crying as the dinosaur tried to eat the kids, I started to think I must have been over ten-years-old when I saw it. 😂 Hayden wants to finish it, but Hadley will probably pass. We may not have time to finish it until the weekend anyway…maybe Hadley’s trauma will subside by then!

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

I still listen to a few podcasts when I can. I regularly listen to include Willie Geist’s Sunday Sitdown and then usually add other podcasts of interest based on who is being interviewed. I’m excited because Landyn has a podcast in the works. I’m excited to listen to it when it become available.

WHAT I’M WEARING:

I bought these slippers at Target right after Christmas, and I love them. I had thought about buying the Ugg version as I’ve heard great reviews, but didn’t feel like spending that kind of money on slippers. These have been the perfect thing to put on my feet when I get home! Nice and cozy. (One of my slippers has even survived almost being #homered!…so I guess you could say that they are good quality!) 😉

Also, I recently had to wear this pink gown…twice. Since I turned 40, it was time for me to have my first ever mammogram. While it wasn’t the best thing I’ve every experienced, it certainly wasn’t as painful as I expected it to be. As I left my appointment, the mammographer mentioned that it’s very common to get called back for an ultrasound especially to establish a baseline since it was my first mammogram.

A week later, I did receive a call to come in that week for an ultrasound. Thankfully, I was somewhat prepared for the call, so I didn’t panic. (Although, I am a worrier by nature!) As soon as the sonographer called me back to the room, she immediately told me she thought everything was fine, but they just wanted to confirm all was good. Her reassurance combined with the dimly lit room and the warm blanket she gave me, put me at ease. I had a couple of cysts as well as a fibroadenoma, which I learned is very common in women and benign.

I was actually relieved to have the mammogram scheduled. I’ve known women who have had breast cancer even in their early thirties. That being said, it was almost scary for me to be in the 35-39 years of age…where doctors say, “You are too young to worry about _____” when I know people who have had their lives changed in an instant at a younger age.

I’m thankful for a healthy report, and I’ll also be very grateful for that yearly appointment and peace of mind.

WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:

Hadley has a tournament game on Saturday (and both could still be playing if they win), but other than that we don’t have too much planned. It may actually be a lowkey weekend which we haven’t had in awhile.

I think Travis is going to take Hayden to the UK basketball game on Saturday. I hope to read, get caught up on house stuff, groceries, etc.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

March means that the Homster is turning 1! We’ve always gotten our dogs a vanilla ice cream cup from Dairy Queen, so he has that to look forward to. Since we don’t know his actual birthday, in the future, we’ll probably celebrate him (w/ the ice cream) on June 8. His gotcha day!

Also, March means St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve got a little bit of Irish in me, and grew up having corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread to celebrate March 17th. I make those recipes now for my family, and we always look forward to the tradition.

That’s it for this month’s What’s Up Wednesday. Make sure to check out Sheaffer and Shay’s posts too!

Take care,

Jen