Feel Good Friday
Because of the new site set up, this post should’ve been posted on February 12th, but the switch made things a little quirky.
Happy Friday, y’all! I’m finally out of quarantine!!!!!
what we've been up to...
My hometown came to my new town to play them in basketball again this week. Unfortunately I was still in quarantine so it looked a little bit different than I had expected. I was thankful for the advances in technology that allowed me to watch it online though! My family came by my house to say hello through the window! Also, please don't judge my filthy house lol I'm just renting it!
outfits of the week...
For the past month or so I’ve started *trying* to consistently share my OOTD (outfit of the day) just for fun! I’m typically able to link most pieces, but I also just share it to hopefully give a bit of inspiration & show you that you can recreate my outfits by just using pieces from your own closet.
Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday...
I was still in quarantine due to being exposed to Covid last week, so I'm not going to share my OOTD for these days because I looked like a total slob lol! Luckily, my test results came back Wednesday late afternoon & I'm negative so I got to go back to school on Thursday! *insert praise hands here*
Thursday...
I figured this “my students stole my heart” t-shirt was pretty perfect for my first day back to school in almost a week! Being in quarantine & missing my students & co-workers dearly made it so clear to me how much I love my job. Not that I was feeling that I didn't like it, but it's easy to get wrapped up in the busyness & exhaustion of keeping up with everything. I had an absolutely HORRIBLE night sleeping because I was so excited + giddy to see everyone again! & their smiling eyes (thanks, rona) & cheerful "Miss Rice! You're back!" greetings were so so good for my soul!
In case you missed it, this week I shared my monthly book reviews & a short post on love languages (since Valentine's Day is Sunday) & ideas on how to love people based on their love language!
on the bookshelf in January
friday favs...
Yeti quality cup but WAY cuter & for a fraction of the price!!!! $10 y'all! This is not a drill!!! Happy Valentine's Day to me from Target! ;)
A few months ago I bruised the palm of my hand trying to open a jar of Trader Joe’s salsa lol #tinyhandsprobs. Anyone else have similar struggles? Look no further! This easy jar opener tool is such a life safer. It has different sizing options so it’ll fit any lid. No more bruised palms for me! I even got one for my Mom for Christmas because she was so jealous of mine lol!
Y’all this angry mama microwave steam cleaner is a straight up game changer. You add a mixture of vinegar & water & put it in the microwave & it literally makes all of the pops of food disappear! It’s amazing!!! Another gift I got for my Mom for Christmas.
Okay honestly, who doesn’t need a cordless handheld vacuum in their lives? So nice for people who have pets because it easily picks up fur off of furniture! I have one & it’s been a game changer for my cat who loves my couch lol. I also got my Mom one of these for Christmas because she used mine when she helped me move in November & was obsessed with how easy it is! (When it comes to gift giving, do you think I lean towards practicality or what? lol!)
I had a little sample of this moisturizer & had been testing it out for the last month or so. My sample ran out so I started using my other moisturizers, but my face was SO dry! I finally ordered this bottle because I knew it was the only thing that was working for my face right now. I don't really struggle with redness, but I just really like how silky smooth this stuff is & how hydrated it makes my face feel.
Speaking of moisturizers & lotions, my hands always get so dry during the winter & a teacher at my school recommended this lotion to me & it’s pretty much been life changing! My hands are like velvet-y smooth & they feel so moisturized!
The lotion doesn't always help my dry cuticles though. I’ve been getting quite a few hangnails lately because of my cuticles, but if I’m being real, one of my nervous/anxious habits is messing with my fingertips so sometimes I create hangnails all on my own. I was looking for some type of oil or solution that I could apply to my fingertips because the lotion just isn’t cutting it. I found this cuticle oil from Amazon & it’s been wonderful — I’ve already noticed a huge difference! A huge plus is that it’s reasonably priced at less than $7 & I already know it’s going to last me forever. Each night I apply one tiny drop to the nail area of each finger on my left hand, then rub my left hand’s fingers together with my right hand’s fingers. Five drops for both hands is MORE than enough! They will make your hands a little bit greasy so I use the drops at night & then go to bed (trying as hard as possible not to touch my face or hair). Highly recommend this if you’re struggling with dry cuticles too!
Y'all know how much I love my neutrals & this one goes right up there with the best of the best! I love how the colors contrast each other, but aren't too bright or vibrant. This color scheme is perfect for fall + winter -- so stinking cozy looking! It is fairly soft & fits true to size -- I'm in a small. Size up if you want to wear it with leggings!
Okay I think this might be my favorite floral shirt I've EVER owned! Oh my goodness where to even start?! Okay first of all, I absolute love the pattern & color scheme! I would say that in real life it's a little more pastel than the fall colors shown on the website's photo. I feel like it will work really well for both the spring & fall months. Second, y'all know I love babydoll tops. I just feel like they're really flattering on any body type because they give an illusion of a smaller waist & wider hips. Who doesn't want to look like they've got an hourglass figure going on? The fabric isn't cotton or a blouse material which I like because it's super comfy! It fits true to size & I'm wearing a small. I'm about to go snag it in every single color option available!
Sharing an up close picture so you can see the colors & pattern better below!
& y'all it looks absolutely DARLING with my favorite black grandpa sweater!!! You'll find me in this outfit ALL spring long!
I'm always looking for pieces that can easily be dressed up or down. This quarter zip would look great with jeans & tennis shoes on a Friday at school, & obviously looks great with leggings too! It definitely runs big -- covers my bottom well & had to roll the sleeves a few times. The pocket in the middle goes all the way through & the zipper is functional! The material is kind of slick so it almost feels like an athletic jacket. Online the color looks much more maroon-ish than it actually is -- it's much more of an orange color.
I mentioned up above that I love neutrals & I wasn't kidding lol. Okay the cutest part of this sweater is the small ribbed detailing on the neckline & cuffs on the sleeves, & the exposed seam lines on the hem & shoulder areas. It's just so cute & different from other sweaters & I love that! I'm wearing a small here & would say it fits true to size. They do have other colors available as well!
Okay this sweater is in the color apricot which I thought was absolutely beautiful. So different from the other tans & browns that I have in my closet. It is BEYOND soft! Like I want a lounge set in this exact material! It's called a tunic for a reason -- it was veeeery long, definitely legging friendly. But I wanted to show that you can front-tuck just about anything into a pair of jeans & make it look great! It has a nice mock neck & is all around just super cozy & soft.
Follow me on Instagram for more outfit inspiration including try ons in my stories! // @simplysmalltownblog
