Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Aug30

Making Your Blog The Best It Can Be

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Making Your Blog The Best It Can Be

Hi! My 1,000th day of writing on lifewithlilred is fast approaching so there is no better time than the present to talk about some more of my favorite blogging tips and tricks that have helped get me to this point. Obviously, I love to write or this crazy long streak wouldn’t be possible. If you are not passionate, then it is going to be difficult to sit down at the computer every day to create a blog post.

Just as importantly, I love the blogging community and my amazing friends and readers and this encourages me to keep coming up with daily content for them. Today, we are going to discuss some of my favorite ways to help strengthen your blogosphere to make your blog the best it can be. Let’s get to it:

Communication Is Key:

This may seem like an obvious one but you would be amazed by how many people leave comments or emails unanswered and this is a huge no no! The foundation of your blogosphere will be very flimsy, indeed, if you ignore these communications because it is what keeps readers coming back.

Once you start a dialogue with your commenters, the real blogging fun begins because it is a great way to make new friends! In fact, one of my best friends is from the blogging world and it all started with commenting back and forth on each other’s pages. ❤

Don’t Be Vague:

I have always considered my blog to be my online journal, which is why a lot of my posts feel so personal as it is coming straight from me and my experiences. Of course, you should only post what you are comfortable with. As far as what you are writing about, don’t spare any details! While some vague posts are okay, like if you are announcing something exciting in the future, a lot of grey area doesn’t give your readers much to go off of so your page could become boring fairly quickly.

Remember, your readers want to relate to you. This is why they continue to visit your page! Encourage this by writing as the “real you” with genuine posts. Not only will it enhance your stats but it will improve your writing skills too!

Share The Love:

While it feels nice to have people liking, commenting, and following your blog, it is so important to give the love right back. Interact with the members of the blogosphere on their own page to show that you are just as interested in what they have to say as they are about you. Don’t forget to link to their blogs when appropriate on your posts too as a friendly tip of the cap.

Reading other blogs can help inspire you and you might just form unique collaborations from it. Trust me, it’s really fun to do collab posts with other writers and it helps set the groundwork for lasting friendships.

You could have the best written posts on planet Earth on your page but it means nothing if you don’t have the support from our wonderful blogosphere. This is what will help make your blog the best that it can possibly be. 🙂

Do you have a favorite blogger? Have you formed any close friendships in the blogging world? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

August 2021 Finishes

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August 2021 Finishes

Howdy! August is almost over and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month. Because of the pandemic, I have been online shopping a lot rather than going in store so I haven’t been trying as many new products as I would like. So, this month has a lot of tried and true favorites which you all already know a lot about and a couple of newbies thrown in for good measure. Let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Beyond Belief Lotion: When it comes to lotion, I am really not picky at all because I only use it at night before bed. I can’t say that I have ever used a body lotion that I simply can’t live without so I could take or leave the Beyond Belief Enchanted Berries lotion. I will say that it was nice and moisturizing and it smelled exactly how I could imagine sugar plums do! However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again. It took me a month of daily use on my hands and arms to finish this product.

LANEIGE Mask: Sephora’s birthday gift selection for their Beauty Insiders was fabulous this year and I went with their LANEIGE skin care set. I received a moisturizer, a lip mask, and the Water Sleeping Mask and enjoyed using them all very much. I love me a nighttime face mask so I was incredibly partial to the gel Water Sleeping Mask. It was so light yet insanely moisturizing and my skin was glowing when I would wake up in the morning. A little also went a long way and I got at least seven uses on my face and neck from the tiny test sized pot. I would happily use this mask again!

Pampering myself with skin care and bath and body care is so important to me and I can’t wait for next month because I will be trying out a new eye cream. It’s the little things, right? 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What is your favorite product to pamper yourself with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug28

My Favorite Summer 2021 Memories

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My Favorite Summer 2021 Memories

Hi! Summer is quickly drawing to a close and that is fine by Lil Red because I live for fall weather, fashion, and holidays. Both Johnny and I are eager to step out in our favorite jackets, sweaters, and long sleeve shirts for hikes, bonfires, and corn mazes in cool temperatures that don’t physically pain us lol.

Although the fall will forever be my preferred time of the year, I have to say that this summer was a great success – especially in comparison to last year. Let’s discuss some of my fave memories from these past few months:

Getting Married:

The best memory of all from this summer is Johnny and I getting married in June, of course! Our wedding day was a beautiful, albeit very hot one, so obviously it was the perfect time for us to tie the knot wearing all black haha! It was so special for us to have a small, intimate wedding in one of our best friend’s back yards surrounded by our immediate family and closest friends. It was one of the best days of my life and I just love being married! ❤

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Conneaut, Ohio Road Trip:

This month, Johnny and I made an hour and a half drive to Conneaut, Ohio for a D-Day reenactment and it was awesome! My husband, the history buff, has never been to a war reenactment before and has always wanted to so when I found out about the event, I surprised him with tickets. The reenactments, demonstrations, and fair food were all great. The best part, however, was seeing a big smile on Johnny’s face all day. Something tells me that this is not the last reenactment that we’ll be attending together and I can’t wait! 🙂

Birthday Celebrations:

Me, Johnny, and my two besties all have summertime birthdays and I love being able to celebrate with them every year. I consider myself to be an excellent gift giver so birthdays and holidays are my favorite. Picking out the perfect presents for my loved ones is so much fun to me and it’s even better to see their reactions once they have opened their gifts. In true Lil Red fashion, I have already began my Christmas shopping planning – I just can’t help myself. 😀

Swimming:

Last year, the pool at my apartment community was closed for obvious reasons. This summer, however, it is open for business and I have been making the most of it. I have spent many an evening lounging in the pool with my bestie or with my sister and niece and it has been so nice. While I can’t wait for cooler weather, I will definitely miss the option to go swimming once my day at work is over. An evening at the pool and then dinner with my BFF or sister and niece is the best thing to look forward to after a work day!

Date Day:

The best date day that Johnny and I had this summer was, easily, our time spent in downtown Cuyahoga Falls a few Saturdays ago. We had an amazing time browsing through the ultra cool Jenks Building while listening to our ultra cool friends play in the Buffalo Ryders. After their set, our band boyz joined Johnny and I for a cocktail hour at our favorite local bar, The Cashmere Cricket. Saturday is the best day to go because the Cricket makes all of their cocktails with dry ice, which makes your drinks bubble and smoke like a potion.

Once our outing was done, Johnny and I went back to our apartment for our usual weekend festivities of playing video games, dancing, and listening to music. It was a perfect day and one of my favorite summer memories.

So there you have it, my favorite summer memories! Summer is my least favorite season by far but, after these past few months, I definitely think I like it a little bit more! ❤

What are your favorite memories of this summer? What are you looking forward to in the fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug27

Self Care Hobbies That Can Be Done From Home

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Self Care Hobbies That Can Be Done From Home

Hobbies that can be done from home are so much more likely to be practiced often. And if they are much more likely to happen, then it can be such a good thing for your self care and mental health. Looking after yourself and finding something that you love to do, outside of work or school is important. So with that in mind, here are some hobbies that you can try from home to help you relax. Which are you going to try first?

Knitting:

Knitting is a wonderful hobby to try. The reason being, is that it is not only a mindful and relaxing activity, but it also gives you an end result. Want to create a scarf or make something for your friend’s new baby? Then get knitting. Seeing that you have created something by yourself can be a real confidence boost. Not only is the act of knitting relaxing but it’s also fun to find new colors of yarn for your projects! You can shop sustainable supplies for knitting and crochet for an eco friendly approach without sacrificing quality. This is another way that your hobby can make you feel good because you will be doing good for the planet too.

Painting:

Painting is something that can be really relaxing and mindful, and you don’t need very much equipment to get you started. You can go wherever your imagination takes you or take inspiration from your favorite artist or pieces of artwork. You could look here for some inspiration: https://davidhartgalleries.com.au/pro-hart/. You could choose paint, acrylics, watercolors, chalks, or other mediums, it is all about being creative and making it up as you go.

Baking Bread:

Another hobby that is practical, as you get something good to eat at the end of it, but that is calming and relaxing at the same time. Baking bread in a traditional way, such as by kneading the dough by hand and waiting for it to rise can be therapeutic and so, so rewarding. You can get creative with the types of bread and the flavors like sourdough, which will need a starter, as stated here: https://feastingathome.com/sourdough-starter/. So there are a lot of options for you to play around with.

Reading:

If you don’t think that you have much time for reading, then you might not have been putting as much emphasis on it as you have in the past. Reading can be pure escapism, as well as a way to learn new things. If you want to read more, then block out the time in your schedule and it will make sure that it happens.

LEGO:

Building with LEGO is not just for kids! You can get proper sets and kits to create something as it is meant to be or you can use what you have to create anything else that you can imagine. Some kits can take a while to build, so it can be a real labor of love. The perfect solution when you’re looking for something to do to relax at the end of the day.

Everyone needs a hobby to enjoy so why not try some of these ideas? Have fun!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Aug27

Surprise LEGO Set!

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Surprise LEGO Set!

Hi! Johnny and I will be celebrating our two year anniversary of being in a “Facebook official” relationship on September first, which is super exciting! When it comes to buying presents for any occasion, I am notorious for purchasing way in advance and constantly asking if I can give the gifts early. I just can’t help myself!

For mine and Johnny’s two year, I came to terms with waiting until the day of so you could imagine my surprise when he wanted to do presents early. Take a look at what Johnny got for me:

As you all know from yesterday’s post, Johnny and I had a huge LEGO haul with a Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set, a Seinfeld set, and a little boat set too. Once I returned home with all of the LEGO in tow, Johnny decided to gift me with one more so I guess the two year anniversary is the LEGO anniversary! 😀

For our two year, Johnny got me the Harry Potter Attack on the Burrow set, which I have wanted since it was released about a year ago. We are constantly talking about expanding our Hogwarts castle and grounds and while the Weasley house technically doesn’t belong on the Hogwarts grounds, it is still a welcome addition.

Our two year anniversary definitely qualifies under the “fun and games” category as I gifted him with a Legend of Zelda Monopoly and more Link Amiibos to add to his collection. We are so excited to play a rousing game of Monopoly together and build our four different LEGO sets. I think our LEGO additions will keep us occupied for about a week because once we start building we just can’t stop! ❤

What is your favorite board game? Have you gotten any new LEGO sets recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

How To Support Musical Children

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How To Support Musical Children

Music can be beneficial to children in many different ways. Playing or listening to music can be an enjoyable thing to do together, a way for children to learn new skills, develop their creativity, and explore their emotions. If your child has shown an interest in becoming a musician, how can you best support them?

Encourage Listening Skills:

Getting children to begin to enjoy exploring music can be a fun thing for the two of you to do together. As you listen to music, ask your child to describe to you what they can hear so they can start to work on their listening skills. Choose a piece of music you think they will like and ask them questions as you listen. Ask them questions like:

  • What sounds can you hear?
  • How would you describe this piece of music?
  • How does this piece of music make you feel?

Having these conversations can also help your child to begin to build their communication skills as they find the right words to describe things to you.

Play Along To Music:

Children love making noise, and a musical instrument along with something like Moon River sheet music can be a good way to channel that interest in noise into something more creative. Encourage them to play along with a song they enjoy so they can think about the different parts of the music. Suggest they try to play as loudly and then as quietly as they can with different ways of making sound such as clapping or tapping a pan with a spoon. Another fun game to help them to build an understanding of beat and volume is to ‘wake’ a sleeping toy. Using one of their stuffed animals, ask the child to wake it up by playing loudly and make the toy go to sleep by playing softly. You could also move the toy around in time with the beat.

If your child is really responding to these ideas, it is the perfect time to enroll them in music lessons for their preferred instrument. To get started, simply enter a search for “music lessons in Melbourne’s northern suburbs” (or your local area). This will give your kiddo the opportunity to develop the skills beyond just having fun and a deeper appreciation for music altogether. Encourage regular practice time at home and you will be blown away at their first recital!

Move To Music:

Children often really love to dance, and you can support this with an enjoyment of music. Tempo is the speed in music, and children can get a good grasp of what this means by exploring it with their movements. Put on music and encourage your child to move as they listen. Watch to see what they do, then join in with them by copying their ideas. By mimicking their ideas, they will see that you value and are interested in what they think.

For some children, physically responding to the music might feel more natural than playing instruments or talking about music. Offer them lots of different genres of music to listen to and see how they respond and move to different kinds of music. You can pre order up and coming K-Pop music releases for some catchy tunes, or explore another genre altogether like classical or jazz. You might be surprised by what they actually enjoy the most. Music that has a range of tempos in it can be great fun.

Try listening to music from around the world too, from a range of cultures. This is a good way to explore music and encourage them to have a conversation with you about different cultures too.

Whether your child wants to be a rock star, a drummer like Joey Armstrong, a dancer, or just loves to listen to music, supporting this will be amazing fun for the both of you!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Aug26

LEGO Haul

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LEGO Haul

Hi! It has been a while since Johnny and I have purchased a LEGO set to build together but that has been resolved with this huge haul! One of our favorite weekly shows is LEGO Masters and after each episode we always name off which sets we want next. Recently, LEGO came out with a Seinfeld set of Jerry’s apartment and since we are such huge fans of the show, I couldn’t not get it! I also got a few more goodies too, thanks to a great promotion running on the LEGO website. Check it out:

When the massive box of LEGO finally arrived, I felt like a kid on Christmas day and couldn’t wait to bring the new sets home to Johnny. There was a promo running on the site for free shipping on fifty dollar plus purchases as well as receiving the boat set for free after spending a certain amount. I thought that this was a really good deal and knew that it never hurts to have more LEGO so I decided to go for it and purchased the Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set too.

Although we haven’t bought new LEGO sets in months, Johnny and I already have quite an extensive collection of Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. The Seinfeld one was an absolute necessity and I can’t wait to build it with Johnny and am really eager to add onto our Hogwarts castle and grounds. Although the boat set is small, it is effective and inspired us to begin a nautical collection with pirate ships, islands, and adventure.

When it comes to building LEGO together, Johnny and I have it down to a science. Because of my acrylics, Johnny handles all of the small pieces and details while I build with the bigger bricks. We have spent countless hours building in our apartment while listening to music, laughing, and beaming with pride once our set is complete. ❤

I am dying to get started on these new sets and, like any LEGO enthusiast, we already know which ones we want to buy next. While we will never be at LEGO Master level, I do like to think that we are the best Brick Masters in our apartment! 😀

Do you like to build with LEGO? What is your favorite LEGO set? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug25

Giving Your Customers A Great Experience

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Giving Your Customers A Great Experience

A successful business relies on several key features. Ultimately, though, it is the customers who will determine whether it has a future or not. Consequently, it’s imperative that you learn how to keep them happy by delivering what they want. From the first interaction to long-term experiences, it’s vital that you keep the customer’s needs at the front of your mind. Focus on the following factors and you won’t go wrong:

A Connection:

All customers want to feel a connection to the brand. Therefore, creating marketing strategies and product packaging that resonates with them is vital. Many companies fall into the trap of being too generic rather than targeting their chief audience. The sooner that you learn it’s better to succeed in a small pond than fail in a big one, the better. There will still be opportunities to reach secondary markets without harming your hopes of success.

Value For Money:

Regardless of whether targeting the working classes or upper classes, people want a sense of value. Producing better quality products should always be the aim, but you should also aim to do it cheaply. Embracing 3D printing is one particularly useful option. Visit https://www.zdnet.com/article to learn about its potential influence. Whatever you do, try to create products that exceed expectations. Clients will then tell friends and family about them too.

Value for money can also come in the form of promotions and giveaways. Any customer will appreciate saving some money or a freebie item and that can turn them into a loyal customer. A customer who keeps coming back and recommends you to their friends and family. It could be as simple as a twenty percent off promo or adding a gift like branded cups, key chains, or T-shirts to their order. Products with your logo on them will turn your customers into walking billboards to spread the word on your business even more.

customer1

Pixabay Image

Fast Turnarounds:

There is no escaping the fact that we live in an era where people want things right away. So, you need to use the right equipment and partner with the best companies to make this happen. The benefits of a quick dye change system in manufacturing are plentiful. Visit https://universalengraving.com/lockup to find out for yourself. Production speeds can soar. Using automated tech for other aspects of manufacturing as well as order fulfillment will serve you well.

Achieving fast turnarounds should never alter the quality of the products you are selling. This all starts with having the proper equipment and tools in the workplace. For example, if you are in the automotive industry, you might want to have a healthy supply of butyl tape from HS Butyl Ltd (or a similar business in your local area) handy for your employees to use. Those in the fashion industry should be using high quality materials for each item. Excellent quality ensures repeat customers no matter what you are selling.

Clarity:

Customers want to know exactly what they are getting from a brand. This is critical for all products and services, but even more so for items like a double block & bleed valve which requires technical know how. Customers want to feel safe with what they are buying. They also need to know that any issues they encounter can be handled quickly so promoting better client care should be high on the agenda. Chatbots are a great feature. You can learn about them at https://medium.com/swlh. They’ll take communication to new heights.

Having fair returns policies will aid the cause further. Everything you do should be aimed at giving clients peace of mind. Not least because it can remove disputes.

Safety:

Finally, consumers are increasingly aware of the threats to their data. As such, they need to feel that they can trust your company. Protecting the business can be as crucial for client interactions as it is for the firm itself. The fact that it’ll also promote increased happiness from the workers should not be ignored, either. Prevention is the key to success. When digital precautions are combined with safer workplaces and stores, clients will be more satisfied.

Providing a comprehensive client experience means that you will be creating loyal customers to keep your business booming!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

 

Aug25

D-Day Reenactment Adventure

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D-Day Reenactment Adventure

Hi! This past weekend, Johnny and I had a road trip to Conneaut, Ohio where we saw a reenactment of D-Day. My husband is a history buff and is constantly teaching me new things from the many books he has read, documentaries he has watched, and podcasts he has listened to. World War II is his favorite thing to learn about so when I found out about this reenactment so close to home, I knew we had to go because he has never been to anything like it but has always wanted to. Check out some pics from our adventure:

Our day spent in Conneaut was an absolute thrill and it was so much fun to see Johnny in his element! It was amazing to see him chatting it up with all of the volunteers, actors, and veterans and every time I looked at him he was grinning from ear to ear. While the “big show” of the D-Day reenactment was spectacular, seeing how much Johnny was enjoying himself was my favorite part of the whole thing. ❤

The morning of our outing started out with a bang when we saw a reenactment of The Battle for La Fiere and that was insanely cool! We definitely both jumped out of our skin when the first shots were fired lol. From there, it was a whirlwind of tank and mortar firings, weapon demonstrations, SAS trainings, and camp shows. I was most partial to The Battle for La Fiere reenactment and we both loved the mortar demonstration!

While there was plenty in the schedule that we did to fill up time until the D-Day reenactment at three, we both enjoyed walking around the different areas representing Germany, France, and England and taking in all of the sights. It was also a lot of fun to browse through all of the different vendors and eat fair food and drink hella fresh squeezed lemonade. Johnny walked away with lots of souvenirs that are now proudly displayed on our knick knack shelf.

The actual D-Day reenactment was so well done and, although our view wasn’t the best, it was still really special to see. The coolest part had to have been seeing the P51 Mustangs and the C47 Transport planes flying around the beach as well as watching the boats come up onto the sand with more and more soldiers. From the sounds and the smoke to the tanks and guns firing, it was an astounding display and we can’t wait to go back next year.

Thanks to some tips from other viewers, we learned about more reenactments in our area and I just know it will become a regular thing for us to do. We thank all of our veterans and those who lost their lives from the bottoms of our hearts for their amazing service and bravery.

Have you ever been to a war reenactment before? What was it like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

Road Trip!

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Road Trip!

Hi! Because I’m self employed and Johnny has limited days off, weekend getaways are the way to go for us to break up the monotony of the work week. This past weekend, we made a trip to Conneaut, Ohio which is about an hour and a half away to see the reenactments of D-Day. My Johnny is a huge history buff so when I found out this was happening, I knew we had to go and surprised him with tickets. Tomorrow, I will fill you in on the actual day spent on the beach and today I will talk about our trip so far. Let’s get to it:

We left for Conneaut pretty much as soon as I returned home from work on Thursday and arrived at our hotel right at six o’clock. We stayed at the OYO Hotel and let’s just say it left a lot to be desired. The carpets of our room were so badly stained it honestly looked like a murder scene. There were mystery hairs all over the room and bathroom too, which is insanely nasty. It is apparent that the rooms at the OYO don’t get cleaned thoroughly once a guest leaves and that is unacceptable – especially considering the price that we paid.

Despite being super turned off by the hotel, we were starving and headed to Sparky’s Place for dinner once we dropped our bags off. I wish I took pictures of the delicious burgers and cheese curds that we ordered but our meal was gone as soon as I thought to do so! I didn’t have anything to drink at Sparky’s but Johnny went with their house specialty of “Monkey Punch” which is basically an alcoholic fruit punch. I had one sip to try it and it was really good and I wasn’t expecting that at all because the different liquors listed in it sounded disgusting mixed together!

The cool part about our arrival on Thursday evening, other than our yummy dinner, was driving around Anytown, USA in Conneaut. There were military jeeps and guys in their uniforms driving all over town, having dinner, and mingling with the locals. That was cool, yes. But, the best part was seeing how excited Johnny was anytime any of these vehicles or gentlemen passed by. I can’t wait to see his reaction to the actual reenactments today. 🙂

Tune in tomorrow for more on our adventure in Conneaut. And, if ever you are in the area, do yourselves a huge favor and don’t stay at the OYO because it will have you saying “oh no” in a heartbeat! Whomp whompppppp.

Where is your favorite place to go for a weekend getaway? What was the best road trip you have ever been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah