Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Feb27

February 2026 Finishes

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February 2026 Finishes

Howdy everyone and holy WOW! We are just about done with another month of 2026 and is it just me or did February fly by? January dragged like nobody’s business, February was in warp speed, and I hope that March meets somewhere in the middle because where did the time go? Also, fingers crossed that we get Real Spring sometime in March because Fake Spring in good ol’ Akron, Ohio has come and passed and we’re back to snow. Bring on those spring flowers and sixty degree days, baby! Before we spring forward into spring, let’s take a look at the beauty products I finished up this month. There are some really good ones in there:

Would I Use Again?

SOQU Rice Cleansing Foam: YES!!!

Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast Lotion: YES

Precision Beauty Vitamin C + Collagen Serum: YES

EOS Ultra Derm Hand Cream: YES

Vital Beauty Cooling Eye Gel: YES

Why/Why Not?

SOQU Cleansing Foam: I absolutely LOVED the Rice Cleansing Foam by SOQU and I am so sad that it is all gone because I have been using it since May of 2025. Crazy, right?! For a little shy of a year, I have been using this cleanser every morning and that is an amazing value. A nickle sized dollop was all I needed for big, foaming bubbles to wash my face with. This cleanser removed makeup well and left my skin looking so bright and hydrated. I have used this product through spring, summer, fall, and winter and it is an excellent year round cleanser. Highly recommend if you can find a bottle and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed to find more at TJMaxx!

Precision Beauty Serum: I am a huge fan of the Precision Beauty serums and have been using them almost exclusively for the past half a year or so. What I like the most about these serums is their effectiveness because I feel like they actually do exactly as it says on the packaging. The serum I finished up offered Vitamin C + Collagen and delivered on that promise. With a month of twice daily use, my skin was radiant and I really think it looked tighter too. It especially packed an extra punch with the Vitamin C moisturizer I am currently working through for an additional dose of a brightening boost. I have plenty more of the Precision Beauty serums in my stockpile and will absolutely continue to buy them. 😀

EOS Hand Cream: The Ultra Derm Hand Cream by EOS was a Sweet Surprise from my mom to pack in my new Antik Kraft purse. Although I don’t use lotion during the day as I hate the texture, I certainly enjoyed this hand cream at night! The Vanilla Cashmere scent was oh so nice and light and the perfect relaxing fragrance to put on before bed. It was extremely helpful for my dry winter skin and my hands definitely benefited from it. When I woke up it was always a treat to feel smooth hands over scaly! It took me about two weeks of once daily use to finish the bottle.

Vital Beauty Eye Gel: Like Precision Beauty for my serums, I am very loyal to Vital Beauty for my eye creams and the Cooling Eye Gel has been a staple in my skin care routine for a long time. These little jars take four months of twice daily use to finish up and you just can’t beat that value. The cooling gel is invigorating in the morning and soothing on tired eyes at the end of the day. The best thing, though? My designer eye bags are virtually nonexistent so I am always looking my well rested best even when I don’t feel like it!

February was a GREAT SUCCESS for beauty finishes and all of the products above are ones that I would recommend and happily use again. Enjoy!!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb26

Pajama Party OOTD

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Pajama Party OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a Pajama Party OOTD! I was so excited to start a new job last month and couldn’t help but treat myself to some new duds from 5 Below – AKA the perfect spot for all of your little treat needs! I decided a year or so ago that I was desperately lacking in the pajama department and 5 Below offers the cutest and most comfy PJs for a song. In fact, I have yet to find cheaper at TJMaxx. During my past haul, I couldn’t say no to a pair of their fuzzy pajama shorts in an adorable Winnie the Pooh motif as well as a hoodie to match. The hoodie is way too sweet to just save for bed though and I am wearing it as I type this to go to work in! Take a look at this cozy little combo that was just twenty-two dollars in total:

Who? What? Wear?

Winnie the Pooh hoodie: 5 Below

Winnie the Pooh shorts: 5 Below

The Wicked slippers were a gift from Johnny’s aunt even though I have never seen the movies lol. Hey, they are comfy AF!

This past weekend was a practice in vegging out after a very long few weeks. All Johnny and I wanted to do was relax and play our new video game, Reanimal. (Spoiler alert: It’s freaking awesome!) As luck would have it, I had my brand new Winnie the Pooh gear to lounge in for the ultimate in sitting on the couch. I know I’ve said it before, but how absolutely adorable is the Winnie the Pooh line from 5 Below?! Not only does it have the “aw” factor but this hoodie and pajama bottom are so well made that it’s hard to believe it was barely over twenty bucks for the set. I could not imagine finding any Winnie the Pooh merch like this for a lower price! Could you imagine how pricey it would be at Hot Topic or Boxlunch?

I got hip to the fuzzy pajama bottoms from 5 Below during spooky season and my only regret is that it took me so long. They are soft as can be and fabulous for wearing all year round if your place is warm enough. I actually could have benefited from wearing them over leggings this weekend because Fake Spring ended and it starting snowing again. That’s nothing my Christmas gift heated blanket couldn’t solve, though! While my legs were nice and toasty with that extra warmth, my upper half was so not complaining in the fleece lined hoodie.

The Berry Sweet hoodie is literally out of Goldilocks – It’s not too hot, not too light, but just right! Sometimes a garment with fleece lining can be stifling and that is not the case at all with this hoodie. It’s thin enough without bringing on the sweats while still feeling like you can just wrap yourself up in it. Like I said earlier, I’m wearing it right now and am so comfy I could just go back to bed lol. That crystal blue color and Berry Sweet motif is enough of a sugar rush though that I swear I’m wide awake! *Fingers crossed* 😀

I may not be a Wicked fan like my slippers would make you think but I just love that honey obsessed Pooh Bear. Shout out to 5 Below for keeping me styling whether awake or asleep!

What was your favorite show growing up? Are you a 5 Below fan too? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

Accessory Story: SuperKitties Necklace Edition

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Accessory Story: SuperKitties Necklace Edition

Howdy! My sweet nieces absolutely love doing crafts and making jewelry. For Christmas, I got them each a necklace kit with one featuring Moana 2 for my biggest niece and SuperKitties for my middle niece who is a super fan. There is nothing better to me than when they gift me with one of their works of art and I keep them proudly displayed throughout my apartment. This past week, I swung by my sister’s after work for a visit and had the best time dancing around like crazy people with my girl squad. I was also delighted by little feet running towards me with a present in hand. A SuperKitties necklace just for me!

Being an aunt is truly one of my greatest joys in the whole world. I revel in being a TT to the literal coolest kids on the planet and they are never far from my mind. I am always thinking about them! Are they having fun? Have they said anything hilarious? Did they learn something new today? They really are my little besties and any time spent with them is treasured. That’s why it’s so special to receive crafts that they made for me. It shows that they are thinking of me too and looking forward to TT time. When my niece handed me the necklace and said she made it all by herself for me, I seriously could have cried. It was just so sweet!

When I see my girls, I never show up empty handed. Like I said, they are never far from my mind and I can’t help but pick up new treats or toys whenever I am doing some shopping. During our visit, I was able to give them all of their Valentine’s Day prezzies and returned home with new bling bling around my neck. I have a massive jewelry collection but I can’t think of one piece that is better than the jewelry my nieces made me with love. TJMaxx may have an excellent jewelry selection but they will never have anything as beautiful or special as my homemade bling. ❤

As soon as I got home, I hung my SuperKitties necklace up on one of my jewelry stands and it makes me smile every day. What a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

What was your favorite craft as a kiddo? Do you enjoy making jewelry? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Trader Joe’s Ultra Rich Body Butter Review

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Trader Joe’s Ultra Rich Body Butter Review

Hi! My parents were so sweet to treat me to a few goodies from Trader Joe’s for Valentine’s Day. My prezzies included a yummy new salsa, a frozen dish, and a tub of their Ultra Rich Body Butter. Back in the day, I lived for the body butter from The Body Shop that used to always be available for a song at TJMaxx. Then, they closed down for a while and it was bye bye, body butter. Since I could no longer have the good stuff from The Body Shop, I became fiercely loyal to Bath & Body Works and can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a body butter. I couldn’t wait to dive into the Ultra Rich Body Butter from Trader Joe’s because if it was anything like their amazing lip mask, I knew I was in for bath and body care delight. Spoiler alert: It was fabulous! Check it out:

^^^ I had to take a product picture after using it because is it just me or does that second picture look like a nipple lol

The Ultra Rich Body Butter features a warm vanilla and orchid scent and it is oh so nice. I love all things vanilla and this body butter has a true vanilla fragrance with the slightest hint of floral thrown into the mix. The scent is incredibly light and just right for slathering on before bed. Speaking of incredibly light, the Ultra Rich Body Butter offers a pillowy soft texture verging on being whipped. I don’t mind a harder body butter but this is definitely the texture that I prefer and it was so easy to apply. A couple of quarter sized dollops slicked on with ease for full upper body coverage.

This past winter, I have noticed that my hands were still red and quite dry in the mornings as I only wear lotion at night. Some parts near my wrists were even bordering on scaly. After using this body butter was the first time I have woke up with my normal skin tone on my hands in months! There was no bright red to be found and my hands are the softest they have been since winter began. In fact, my skin still felt really hydrated after my morning shower too. My only regret? That the closest Trader Joe’s is almost an hour away because I think I just found my new favorite body butter!

If you are suffering from dry skin or simply need a treat, I cannot recommend the Trader Joe’s Ultra Rich Body Butter enough. You will notice an amazing difference with just one use!

What is your favorite bath and body care brand? How do you improve dry winter skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb23

How To Sharpen Up Your Senses

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How To Sharpen Up Your Senses

Like the old saying goes: You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. This is certainly true of your senses, which is why it is so important to look after all five of them in the best way that you can. In this blog post, we will give you a general overview of how you can protect them so that these senses can always stay sharp:

Sight:

Beyond the age of 45, your eyes tend to dry out resulting in light sensitivity, blurry vision, and burning eyes. A diet rich in omega-3s such as fish or walnuts can help to keep this condition at bay. You can also get prescription drops as a way of stimulating tear production. Taking supplements such as vitamin C can help to prevent cataracts in the future. You should also try to avoid prolonged sun exposure by taking regular breaks and investing in a good pair of sunglasses for driving or outings.

Smell:

The older you get, the weaker your sense of smell becomes. You should be aiming to minimize your contact with smoke and household chemicals. There is also some evidence that the more you seek out different scents, the better you can protect your sense of smell. A couple of things that you could include in this sniffing exercise include peppermint and cinnamon. You could also make potpourris to place throughout your home to help keep your sniffer strong.

Taste:

The first thing that you should do to protect your sense of taste is practice good oral hygiene. This will help to keep your tongue in good condition and protect your taste buds from infections. Though there isn’t much that you can do to reclaim your sense of taste, what you can do is add extra spices and flavorings to your food. If you find that you are suffering from a dry mouth, you should aim to reduce your intake of dehydrating substances like caffeine and alcohol.   

Hearing:

You should have a hearing test if you notice any issues or if you simply want to gain some peace of mind. Prevention is important when it comes to hearing, so you should wear protective devices when you are exposed to any loud noises. Don’t listen to music through headphones at too loud a volume or for too long. If you have already damaged your hearing, you should speak to your doctor about being fitted with a hearing aid.

Touch:

As you start to get older, your skin becomes less elastic and you are likely to lose sensitivity over time. A few of the ways that you can help to prevent it include a healthy lifestyle full of regular exercise, a low-fat diet, and not smoking. Taking aspirin will dilate blood vessels and improve circulation therefore increasing stimulation of the dermis.

Of course, age-related sensory decline is an inevitable fact of life, but there are plenty of ways that you can protect all five of them in the best way possible. Following some of the advice in this article is a great starting point!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb23

Ways To Keep Your Mental Health In Check

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Ways To Keep Your Mental Health In Check

Your mental health does not have to stop you from living your life. When you’re struggling within your own head, the outcome of a long term solution often looks bleaker than it actually is, and you’re just going to need to trust us on that. But, what we want to talk to you about is the fact that you can still live your life and make it a beautiful one even when you’re struggling. Not sure how? We’ve got you covered:

Get Enough Sleep:

We want to start by recommending that you’re getting enough sleep. You might think that this sounds extremely obvious, but there are many people that struggle with sleep and this alters their mood and the way that they feel. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you need to start looking into solutions for this as it can be incredibly beneficial. This is going to include things like setting yourself a bedtime and trying to wake up at the same time every day so that your brain gets into a routine. A lack of sleep can always make everything feel worse, but if you’re getting those seven hours per night, things might seem a little brighter.

Acknowledge How You’re Feeling:

The next thing that we want you to do is acknowledge how you’re feeling. The thing that people forget when it comes to their feelings is that you shouldn’t be pushing them back, but instead you should be feeling them. You need to acknowledge how you are feeling and deal with it, rather than suppressing it and then having to feel it overwhelmingly later down the line. It’s important to know how you feel as well as having a handle on your emotions or at least be able to name them and identify the why to help better support your mental health.

Get Help:

Last but by no means least, you might need to get help. Not everyone will, but if you know that you’re struggling, then this is the right thing to do. You can reach out to a professional, see what they have to say, and take it from there. It’s entirely possible that you’re going to want to back out of this a few times, but it will be okay once you find the right treatment. For example, you might find that behavioral therapy is a good fit for you or you might find that a new ketamine treatment helps. You won’t know until you get your feet through the door first.

Improving your mental health can be done in small steps that add up to make a huge difference!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb23

Are You Looking After Your Hearing Right?

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Are You Looking After Your Hearing Right?

Protecting your hearing is a huge part of protecting both your mental and physical health and there are a lot of things you might want to think about to ensure that you are doing this effectively. In this post, we are going to consider some of the main ways in which you can look after your hearing with best practices you can start today. Like the following:

Slow Fading:

Hearing loss is rarely dramatic at first. It tends to creep in. High-frequency sounds usually fade before lower tones, which means consonants like “s,” “f,” and “th” become harder to distinguish. Conversations start to sound muffled, especially in places with background noise. You may still hear that someone is speaking, but clarity drops away. The brain works overtime to fill in the gaps. That mental effort can be surprisingly exhausting. Many people attribute the fatigue to stress or poor sleep, never suspecting that straining to hear is draining cognitive energy throughout the day.

Noise Is Louder Than You Think:

You do not need to stand next to jet engines to risk damage. Prolonged exposure to everyday noise can be enough. Traffic, construction, power tools, loud gyms, concerts, and even constant headphone use all contribute. A good rule of thumb is this: If you need to raise your voice to be heard at arm’s length, the environment is probably too loud for prolonged exposure. The same applies to headphones. If someone sitting next to you can hear your music clearly, it is too loud. If you are using them for hours a day, even moderate volume can become an issue over time.

^^^ Pexels Image

Importance Of Hearing Tests:

One of the most overlooked parts of hearing care is simply having a hearing test. Many people wait until they notice a clear problem, but by that stage, changes may have been happening for years. A professional hearing test is quick, painless, and far more detailed than most expect. It measures how well you hear different frequencies and volumes, identifying patterns that might indicate early-stage loss, noise damage, or other issues. Even if your hearing is currently fine, a baseline test gives you something to compare against in the future.

Small Habits:

Looking after your hearing does not require drastic change. Often, it is about consistent small habits. Lower the volume on personal devices and use noise-cancelling headphones rather than turning music up to drown out background sound. Wear proper ear protection when using power tools or attending loud events. Give your ears rest periods after exposure to high noise levels. Be mindful of ear hygiene too. Cotton buds can push wax deeper into the ear canal, potentially causing blockages. If you suspect excess wax, professional removal is safer than attempting to clear it yourself. Hydration, general cardiovascular health, and avoiding smoking also play a role. The inner ear relies on healthy blood flow, and what benefits your heart often benefits your hearing as well.

Can you hear me now? Good! Keep it that way with these tips!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb23

Hurray For 27K!

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Hurray For 27K!

Howdy! Way back in March of 2025, I saw myself out of a crappy job and had a bit of free time to kill before booking myself up again with clients. I enjoyed some much needed downtime and while I was shooting some content at home, I decided to go ahead and make a TikTok too. As you all know, I am a word girl through and through and pivoting to video content was a big leap for me. Like when I started my blog, my main priority with TikTok was having some fun being creative. And you know what? It has been fun! For almost a year now I have been posting daily content on my TikTok too and I’m really proud of that effort because it still seems like a polar opposite world to writing on the ol’ blog. I am also incredibly pleased with the results as I just crossed the threshold to twenty-seven thousand likes!

If you have ever found yourself thinking “Wow, I wish I had more Lil Red in my life”, then I would so love it if you followed me on TikTok. Even if you have never had that thought, I would so love it if you followed me on TikTok! It’s a goofy little corner of the internet with my daily antics, bonus OOTD content, and delightful cameos that include Johnny, my parents, and Archie the family dog. My bunny babies, Melvin and Penelope, never sit still enough to bask in their cuteness! There’s no rhyme or reason to what I post and I refuse to follow trending content. Rather, I post what I like and the fact that I have 27K likes to show for it is crazy to me! 😀

I am so close to thirty thousand likes that I can taste it. To some, that might not seem like a lot. To me, it is a huge validation. My TikTok really is just a for funsies page and the fact that I am having a blast and have some likes to show for it is a major feather in my cap. Do I expect to be a major TikTok influencer? Absolutely not and that is a-okay! My reward has been far greater. It has given me even more confidence in my content creating ability and it feels good to carve out another space that is just for me. A space to explore a different medium of creating, give exclusive looks that you don’t see on the blog, and hopefully put a smile on someone’s face. This 27K might as well be twenty-seven million and I am so excited to continue with my daily content streak. ❤

When you are sick of doom scrolling, take a breather on my TikTok. I can’t wait to see you there!! 🙂

What if your favorite social media platform? What is your favorite medium of content? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb22

V-Day OOTD Bloopers

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V-Day OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my V-Day OOTD! Johnny and I had an absolute ball on our Valentine’s Day date with a yummy dinner out and an evening at a Cupid’s Revenge haunted house. We ate like kings and had the most spooky, silly time at the haunt. We cannot wait to go back to the Haunted Schoolhouse And Laboratory for their St. Patrick’s Day haunted house next month! If it’s anything like the V-Day one, it will be a freaking hoot. 😀 Our night on the town was full of fabulous memories as well as super styling OOTDs on both of our parts. I felt like a V-Day queen but these pictures are more like me as the royal court’s jester lol, check it out:

Just staring into space

I can’t tell if I love or hate this picture!

Halt! Who goes there?

Pat your head and rub your belly world champ

Hey girl!!!!

My Squidward face says it all lolol

No pictures, please …. But please take my picture!!!

Johnny and I were both exhausted on Sunday after all of the hubbub and I took it as my opportunity to get caught up on the Olympics. This is the happiest time of every four years for me and I was chomping at the bit to watch all of the figure skating that I missed. After I was done watching the men’s long programs, I decided to have some fun by watching a bit of the bobsled events that were taking place. By that time, Johnny was up from his nap and was SO into it. I think he had his fill of figure skating after he graciously sat through the team and short programs with me. 😀 To my surprise, he requested that we watch more Olympic sports after watching several bobsled heats and it was music to my ears. The sport he chose…

Curling! I haven’t watched a ton of Olympic curling in my day and I regret that deeply after our bingeathon. Honestly, it begged the question of why aren’t we watching these sports regularly like we do for football and baseball. Curling was absolutely hilarious to watch. Not because of the athletes, but the commentators. Johnny and I are so not hip to curling lingo and all of the phrases they rattled off were like a new language. We had no idea what they were talking about but it all sounded good! In fact, at one point one of the commentators delved into a story about his wife that really had nothing to do with the matter at hand. It reminded us SO much of the commentary in one of our favorite movies, Best In Show, which made us laugh even harder. These lesser known sports might not be at the top of your Olympics agenda but I promise you they are just as fun if not more so than the big events. I can’t wait to watch more with my main squeeze!

I cannot describe how happy I am that Johnny found an Olympic sport that we can enjoy watching together. It was the perfect way to wrap up a perfect Valentine’s Day weekend!

Have you been watching the Olympics? What is your favorite sport? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

How Technology Has Changed The Performance Of Modern Hearing Aids

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How Technology Has Changed The Performance Of Modern Hearing Aids

The technology within many of the modern hearing aids nowadays is incredible. It’s a lot different from the older versions, some one or two decades ago. Modern hearing aids have been transformed by AI, Bluetooth, and advanced signal processing. It’s shifted from simple amplification to intelligent and personalized sound enhancement. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how technology has changed when it comes to the performance of modern hearing aids and how they’re something to be sought after, rather than avoided by people who need them:

Artificial intelligence and machine learning:

AI enables hearing aids to learn user preferences, whilst automatically adjusting settings in real-time. It helps you to switch from a quiet room to a busy street without needing to do anything. AI hearing aids are certainly the future of hearing aid technology.

Advanced noise reduction and directional microphones:

With modern devices, they analyze sound in real time in order to reduce background noise and instead focus on speech. It allows the user better hearing in complex and noisy environments.

Rechargeable batteries:

Modern hearing aids now eliminate the need for small, disposable batteries. Instead, users benefit from rechargeable hearing aids that can be charged overnight while you sleep. It provides all-day power, which is highly beneficial for uninterrupted audio experiences.

Smart apps and personalization:

With modern hearing aids, it works with smartphone apps that allow users to fine-tune sound, adjust volume, and help to monitor battery levels directly too.

Health tracking and biometrics:

Some advanced models will include sensors that monitor physical activity, analyze environmental data, and track your heart rate, too. These insights can be great for improving your overall health and not just your hearing.

Telehealth and remote fitting:

Audiologists are now able to adjust hearing aid settings remotely. It removes the need for in-person appointments for any minor tweaks that need to happen, which is helpful for those who might not live near an audiologist or hearing center.

Smaller and discreet designs:

With smaller and discreet designs, you’re getting a more comfortable and less noticeable device.

Signs you need a hearing aid or two:

There are some tell-tale signs that you need a hearing aid or two. Such signs include the following:

  • Difficulty with conversations – Frequently asking people to repeat themselves.
  • Volume adjustment – Turning up the TV or radio to levels that are too loud.
  • Muffled sound – Voices and surrounding sounds are muffled or unclear.
  • Tinnitus – Persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears.
  • Social withdrawal – Avoiding social situations as it’s too exhausting or difficult to keep up with conversations.
  • Fatigue – Feeling stressed after conversations and fatigued as your brain is working harder to understand sounds.

Technology has changed the performance of modern hearing aids, so explore what they could do for you if you need them in the future!

Featured Image By: Unsplash