Feel Good Friday

How is it already Friday?! This week was a whirlwind. There is still a lot up in the air with when school will be starting here in Kansas, so I felt like I spent way too much of my energy focusing on things that are out of my control. I still don't have the answers to those things, but my goal this next week is to not let it consume me! How are things where you are at? Does your community have a school plan?

what we've been up to...

When life gets really busy & I find myself just chugging away in the groove of things, it's really common for me to get my priorities confused. For example, I have not been doing a good job about being intentional in my friendships. & I know that Covid-19 has really had a mind of its own & that has impacted when & how I can see people, but it's no excuse! I could've reached out to zoom or even to meet up & maintain social distancing. So this week, I was thankful for my sweet friend, Addy, who picked up the slack for me & gave me a very important reminder. Yes, it's important to make sure you're completing your duties & honoring your responsibilities, but it's just as important that you're doing things for yourself that bring you joy. I mean c'mon. Look at that second picture! If that's not pure joy from my cute friend (AND HER DOG!!) then I don't know what is! Do you have friends in your corner who will gently remind you when your priorities are a bit out of whack?

To continue with my new found "healthy priorities" (which, if I'm being honest, will probably only last a week or so before I'll need another swift kick in the bum), my sisters & I decided to have a little morning outing to do one of our favorite things: go on a walk and ...

... feed the park turtles! If you're reading this & you're thinking to yourself "good golly this girl needs to get out more" then honey, you've clearly never been turtle feedin' at the right place! ;)

In case you're local to Moundridge, Kansas or the surrounding areas, The Rice girls are big fans of Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston. They have well-paved walking paths & it's *clearly* gorgeous!

Feeding the turtles (& sometimes ducks) used to be one of my family's favorite things when my siblings & I were little! I don't know what it is, but it's such a simple way of having fun & it's very entertaining. I'm 23 & both of my sisters are in high school & each one of us loved our little midweek adventure! It's probably partially because feeding turtles reminds us of sweet memories from when we were all younger. I snagged this sweet picture of my sisters & texted it to my Mom saying, "you're never too old to feed the turtles <3" & she actually cried! Y'all, organizing fun things for your kiddos doesn't have to be a big spectacular outing. It can be as simple as feedin' turtles & spending quality time together.

I of course have to share some pictures of the MASSIVE turtles that came to see us while we were there! We've been coming here since we were itty bitty. On one of our visits years ago, a massive turtle made its appearance & we named it Ralphy. (Don't ask questions lol). Well the girls & I were pleasantly surprised to see that "Ralphy" had lots of other family members / friends who came to show off too. ;)

In order to get close to the water, we had to walk through / stand on a pretty muddy area. My poor sister, Avery, had mud caked onto her shoes so bad that they felt heavy! I also had an incident where I slid forward in slow motion for about half of a yard & thankfully I did not fall! My sisters & I definitely giggled about it for a good while because according to them, I was "flailing my arms so fast I should've been able to fly"! (No pictures of that scene were taken). ;)

This week I wrapped up my finals for my summer grad classes & began digging into some things for the school year. (I will be a Middle School Counselor for those of you who are new around here). Since the school year itself is going to be quite different than past school years have looked as far as virtual options, I wanted to be prepared. I had seen these "virtual classroom" ideas on Facebook & knew I had to try it out. I'm fairly pleased with the results, & while it was time consuming, I can see it being a very useful tool if / when we have to go online. I'm planning to create a "relaxation room" with links to meditation videos, grounding exercises, etc. I can't wait!

If you're interested in creating your own "virtual classroom", I followed this step-by-step tutorial & it was SO helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below!

friday favs...

As the school year is approaching, I'm pretty much in "school mode". That means my closet is too! I've been going through my closet & shopping for some specific pieces that I know will be great additions that will get a lot of use throughout the school year.

First up is this soft embroidered tank from Target -- I absolutely love the detailed chest & neck area! One of my favorite outfits to wear in school is a tank with a cardigan over. & I love that I can wear it during the summer months leading up to school as well! This tank is a little bit sheer, but not see through enough that you could see my nude bra or my skin underneath. I ordered a small & I would say it's just a tad oversized as it droops a little bit low in the armpit area. That didn't bother me because I'll almost always be wearing it with a cardigan! It comes in a blue color option as well & is less than $23!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called "red carpet reddy") / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called "envelope please") / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / kid’s cognac platform wedges / women’s cognac platform wedges / black purse / embroidered tank

We all need a little extra sunshine these days, both literally & figuratively! This thin crewneck from Aerie is so cute & soft & I absolutely love the message & the different little flowers. It pairs easily with denim shorts, but would also work great with jeans & a slip on shoe. Such a great option & so different from other sweatshirts I own. Aerie tops are typically oversized, so this sweatshirt is actually an XXS which is usually what I get from Aerie. From other stores, I typically buy smalls or mediums depending on what type of fit I'm looking for. If you're looking for an oversized fit then stick to your regular size, but if you want it a bit more fitted then size down one or two sizes.

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called "red carpet reddy") / pink fingernail polish (shade is called "envelope please") / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / medium wash denim shorts / white rubber birkenstocks / "be the sunshine" crewneck / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”)

Y'all know I love me some leopard so of course I'm loving this outfit! This leopard blouse is seriously all things good! The body is tiered & the sleeves have a subtle frill. I just love how feminine it is! It's very thin, but not staticky at all. There's a button in the back that creates the high neck which I love. This blouse would look darling with a colored pair of pixie pants & a denim jacket or neutral colored cardigan for school. It comes in a brown color & also a white color. It's less than $25 & I'm wearing a small. I would say it fits a tiny bit oversized just because of the length, but it fits perfectly everywhere else. Love it!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called "red carpet reddy") / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called "envelope please") / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / black & gold bracelet set / black & white leopard blouse / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”) / kid’s black wedges / women’s black wedges (less than $25!)

My go-to outfits for school are typically a patterned top with a pair of pixie pants or nice jeans on more casual days. I snagged this floral blouse from the Loft sale a few weeks ago for EIGHT DOLLARS. It is such good quality & the colors are so vibrant. It's really beautiful! I'm linking a similar option here since this exact one is currently not in stock. I'll check on it regularly to let y'all know if / when it's restocked because it's that good!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called "red carpet reddy") / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called "envelope please") / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / kid’s cognac platform wedges / women’s cognac platform wedges / striped wristlet / wooden key ring + tassel / trestique lip crayon (color is called “chile red”) / floral long sleeve blouse / floral long sleeve blouse dupe

Another patterned top! This one is a mix of floral & paisley & is so stinkin' cute! Again, the colors are super bright + vibrant. It's thin, but good quality! It looks great with jeans, & would also look great with some black pixies (or jeans) & a denim jacket in the fall! I'm wearing a small & I would say it fits true to size. The style is high low so it hangs a little longer in the back & it covers my rear. Loving these options that I can wear throughout the whole year!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called "red carpet reddy") / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called "envelope please") / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / black & gold bracelet set / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”) / kid’s black wedges / women’s black wedges (less than $25!) / sunglasses / paisley & floral blouse

____________________

Can you believe we are heading into the last week of July? I feel like this summer is just flying by! What are your plans for the weekend? Drop them below in the comments, or feel free to message us on Facebook or Instagram! We’d love to hear what you’re all up to. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

PS – this post contained affiliate links… thank you so much for reading & supporting our blog!