Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Feb26

Liebster Award #16

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Liebster Award #16

Hello everyone!! Lifewithlilred was recently nominated for its sixteenth Liebster Award by my sweet friends, Soumi and Mukulesh, the darling husband and wife duo of MuMi’s Fun Life. Their blog is such a delight and is filled with a wide array of topics that are sure to please everyone. Thank you so much, love birds!! ❤ Now, let’s get on to the rules for the award:

The Rules:

  • Create a post in your blog about this Award and spread the news.
  • Acknowledge the person who nominated you in the same post. Also let the person know your opinion about his/her own blog.
  • Answer the questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
  • Choose at least 5 (maximum 10) bloggers whom you enjoy reading and want to nominate.
  • Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
  • Notify your nominees that you nominated them. Also paste your post link in the notification so that they can follow the required steps.

Q & A:

What do you think is the most important quality a blogger should have? I think that bloggers should be personable and have a good sense of humor.

If you can choose only one person and one essential item to travel the world, what will you choose? My sister and my wallet.

Which do you prefer – a self planned trip or a travel package of a tour operator? Why? A little bit of both. It’s fun to do things on your own and be spontaneous but having a set in stone plan is nice, too.

What do you think is the most versatile vegetable which you can use in any dish? Onions and garlic. You can never have too much garlic! Vampires beware!!

What do you think is more important to enhance your beauty – a good fashion sense or good makeup skills? Good fashion sense – I think that it showcases ones personality more.

What inspires you more – a biography of a great person or a heart warming fiction? I’m more fond of fiction. I haven’t read too many biographies.

What do you think is more important to you as a blogger – satisfaction of a creator/appreciation from your readers? Satisfaction as a creator, definitely. I take a lot of pride in my work and it feels good. Appreciation from my readers is just an amazing added bonus!

What do you prefer more on a special occasion – fine dining at a luxurious restaurant or a candle lit dinner at home? Why? Both are nice! It’s fun to get glammed up and go out on the town, but it’s just as great cooking at home with your family.

If you win the lottery some day what will you choose – fulfill your own dream or help any of your loved ones fulfill his/her dream? You can only choose one not both. Oh dang… I’d say, help a loved one because my family definitely has a vested interest in wanting all dogs to have a good home so it would be like my dream, too!

Which one do you think is an absolutely essential home decor – small live pot plants or photo collage frames? We have a lot of potted plants at home so yes, I think greenery is a must.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is the weather like in your neck of the woods today?
  2. What has been your favorite part of 2018 so far?
  3. Who is one of your role models?
  4. What is the last movie that you saw in theaters?
  5. What are some of the qualities that you look for in a friend?
  6. Last book that you read?
  7. What is one of your guilty pleasures?
  8. Favorite sweet treat?
  9. Favorite store to shop at?
  10. What was your favorite childhood toy?

Thank you so much again to Soumi and Mukulesh of MuMi’s Fun Life for the nomination! I loved answering your questions! How would you answer some of my nominator’s questions for me? How about some of my questions for my nominees? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

Blush, Baby – Tarte In Feisty Edition

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Blush, Baby – Tarte In Feisty Edition

Hello! Although I am not huge on buying makeup outside of the drugstore, my favorite brand that Sephora offers is probably Tarte. I love the way that their products work and the variety of colors that they offer. My sister is the makeup queen in my family, and she gave me this hand me down Tarte blush that she never even used a few weeks ago! It is a tinge darker than what I usually go for, but it’s still pretty all the same:

feistyfeisty2feisty3

This Feisty blush actually reminds me of the exact shade that my mom would use when she did my makeup for skating competitions. Can I see myself wearing it in real life? Maybe in the fall, because I feel like this color would be gorgeous during that season. But for spring and summer, it just seems a bit too dark for me. There seems to be a really red undertone to this shade and with my hair and the pink undertones in my skin it all would be too much!

My sister, on the other hand, could get away with this shade because she is a bronze goddess so I’m not sure why she gave this to me. But, it doesn’t hurt to experiment and maybe come autumn I’ll have a new favorite shade.

What is your favorite brand that Sephora carries? Do you prefer dark or light blushes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Trying Something New

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Trying Something New

Hello everyone and happy weekend! Saying that this winter has been below average would be putting it nicely, because it really freaking sucked. But, life goes on, and sometimes you just have to keep pushing through until your next big exciting break happens. To keep myself from going insane, I have been trying to incorporate some new things into my life to keep my mental health in check and to have some fun.

One thing that I love to do is learn new languages. I speak English and pretty above decent French, if I do say so myself. Learning new languages has always been a fun thing for me, rather than a chore. So, to add to the fun, I began teaching myself American Sign Language about two months ago and I’m really enjoying it. I try my best to practice for at least a little bit every day and am proud of the progress that I’ve made. I also like to watch French films and TV shows or movies with sign language in it to keep myself sharp.

The great thing about learning a new language, is that there is always something new that you can learn within the language that you’re practicing. Constantly gaining knowledge helps keep my mind off of some of the bullshit, and it is one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I plan on learning Spanish next because, despite taking it for eight years in grade school, I can’t remember a darn thing and I’d like to have it in my language arsenal.

Another new activity that I have been trying, as per recommendation of my therapist, is yoga and meditation. I have taken yoga classes before and really enjoyed it, and with my therapist pushing it every week, I decided to give it another shot. I found free yoga and meditation classes at one of the local libraries and have had nothing but good experiences so far. And, since I ball on a budget, you can’t beat free!

Although I haven’t been having the best of times in life by any means at the moment, I am proud of myself for getting up and trying to learn something new instead of giving up and doing nothing with my day. I always feel good when I activate my mind and body and now, I just need to remind myself to keep doing it because I know that it works.

What is something new that you would like to try? Are you taking any classes or teaching yourself about a subject that you’re interested in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pinterest

Feb23

4 Career Paths In Public Administration

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4 Career Paths In Public Administration

If you are currently in search of a career path that is fitting of your vocational calling, earning a degree in public administration might be one that you will want to consider. This is a noble calling where you can service your local, national, or global community. It is a way to put your gifts to use, in conjunction with the education that you receive, to make the world a better place. With that in mind, take a look at four possible career paths in public administration that you might find appealing:

Education Administration: We all know that schools are one of the most important social institutions that we have. Without them, we cannot adequately prepare young people to become productive members of society themselves. That being said, schools depend on professional and qualified administrators in order to run smoothly. Without that, chaos can quickly descend on the institution itself. If you enjoy the field of education, and you have the capacity to lead and supervise, a career in educational administration might be right up your alley.

Elected Official: City, state, and county jurisdictions across the country are in need of qualified officials to take over the helm. Managing items of the public interest is serious business, and it requires a specialized knowledge that not just anyone possesses. When you have a degree in public administration, you will be well positioned to run for public office and have members of the community take you seriously. You will also learn the skills necessary for public crisis management, and that is something that is becoming more and more important today.

Policy Advisor: Society is constantly evolving and changing. Along with that comes the need to create new policies and regulations in order to properly manage and organize the people within any given community. A policy advisor is able to read what is happening and propose new ideas that will better reflect the changing face of society. It is, once again, a specialized field that requires a unique knowledge base and set of skills. This is how society will adapt and change with the times. Policies that are rooted in the past are often doomed to fail today. In exchange, policy advisors look for ways to anticipate the future and make sure that the local community is prepared when the time comes.

Civil Service Jobs: There are a host of civil service jobs designed to support and uphold the ideals of the local community. Not everyone aspires, or is qualified, to be an elected official. That does not mean that you do not want to serve in a professional capacity. If that is you, then a civil service job is what you are looking for. These are typically support role positions that follow a set career path. Job security is high, but so is the competition.

While there are many more jobs awaiting a person with a degree in public administration, these four should give you the motivation that you need to pursue a higher education. Giving yourself to help others, and making a career out of it at the same time, is extremely rewarding. You owe it to yourself to at least consider such a career option, so contact a school near you today.

Featured Image By: The Twin Powers

Feb23

February 2018 Finishes

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February 2018 Finishes

Hello everyone! Another month is drawing to a close already, and you know what that means. It’s time to discuss my February finishes! This month, it was all about products from The Body Shop. I used up two skin care goodies and one body butter in February and I felt so pampered to be using such wonderful products from my favorite one stop shop for all things beauty. Take a look and let’s discuss:

febb

Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Butter: Although The Body Shop has many amazing fruity scents to choose from, and I love them, I am always partial to their softer collections. I love their Shea and Cocoa butter and, of course, their Almond body butter! There is nothing better than taking a nice, warm bath and slathering on this body butter before putting on your jammies. I love the nutty scent and how good it makes my skin feel after using it. It took me about seven full body uses to finish this product.

TBS Face Mask: When it comes to skin care, I love all charcoal everything and this mask is freaking EVERYTHING. Within one use, this charcoal face mask eliminates every single stinking black head on my nose and leaves my skin simply glowing afterwards. Despite this mask being an absolute pain to clean up in the shower after using it, it is so worth it and I am so happy to have another one of these in my hoard for future uses. I got about ten uses out of this container.

TBS Moisturizer: My sister actually gave me this hand me down from the Oils Of Life collection because she couldn’t stand the smell. And, I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of it, either. This moisturizer smells very herbal and some people really like that, but me – not so much. Although I’m not huge on the way it smells, I would use this product again because it left my skin feeling so hydrated and well taken care of. I didn’t notice any immediate changes in my skin from using this moisturizer, but I would like to try it again to see if anything magical happens to my face from it. It took me one month to finish this product.

February was a great month for finishes and even though I didn’t care for the Oils Of Life scent, I would still like to use all of these products again. Those who love The Body Shop as much as me can definitely see why I enjoyed this month in beauty products as much as I did!

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

Feb22

Do You Love Your Home? Time To Show It

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Do You Love Your Home? Time To Show It

A home is much more than walls and a roof. It’s a place that means something to you and your family. It’s where memories are made. Your house should feel like a safe and inviting shelter from the world. Whether you’ve had a hard day at work or your kids have had a hard day at school, everybody should feel as if they can stroll through that front door and let all of their worries fade away. It’s not just about creating a practical environment for physical relaxation but an aesthetically-pleasing environment that relaxes the mind. For example, your couch can look modern or sophisticated and still be comfortable.

Essentially, creating an inviting home is all about finding a good balance between prettiness and comfort. Whatever improvements need to be made, it’s time to put some effort into the appearance of your humble abode. Do you love your home? If you do, then you should want to show that. Let’s talk about some of the improvements you could make to your household in order to create a warmer and more relaxing environment for you and the whole family. You don’t need to hire a professional team or become a DIY expert either; any beginner with determination can renovate their home:

Space is everything:

The first step towards improving your home is to declutter every room. This is a chance to get rid of all the junk you’ve hoarded over the years (and perhaps make some money by selling those things at a yard sale). In turn, you’ll notice that the house slowly opens up. There’s more potential space in your home than you realize. That minimalistic and spacious design you’ve always wanted is within reach. It’s just about putting your home’s available space to better use. Putting up shelves on the walls as additional storage space is another great way to “tidy up” rooms in the house.

Lighting affects the mood of a room:

The importance of lighting in a home can’t be underestimated. If your house feels a little drab and dreary despite being decorated with all of the bells and whistles, then you might want to consider that the problem lies with the lighting. So many households have a bad interior design because the decorator doesn’t consider the layout and colors used in each room. If you want your home to feel bright and enticing, then you need to utilize lighting cleverly. Throughout the day, you should be allowing natural light into your home as much as possible. Neutral colors such as white will naturally reflect any sunlight pouring in through the windows and serve to brighten up each room in the house.

Tame your back garden:

Another important aspect of a happy home is a nice garden. That’s right – you need to push your horizons a little further than interior design. Your house’s exterior is just as important to your home. Is it nice to look out of your window and see an overgrown jungle that used to be your garden? If you really love your home, then you need to tidy up this outdoor space. You might even want to look into companies such as ABC Home & Commercial to help you mow, fertilize, and essentially tame your garden if you need help. The key thing is to make this area feel homely. Create a relaxing patio area with comfy seats, a dining table, and maybe even a patio awning for shelter from the elements.

Once your backyard has been tamed, fixtures like ponds or pools can make an amazing addition and boost property value. Not a lot of space? No problem! Spools (AKA small pools) are becoming wildly popular and for good reason. They require a lot less maintenance and, due to their small size, can fit in almost any yard. When you choose a fiberglass, gunite, & vinyl spool, you create a backyard oasis for your home, ready for the kids (or you!) to jump right into when the sun comes out.

Reinvent the front of the house:

Continuing from the previous point, you need to think about the entire house when it comes to exterior design. Tidying up your back garden is one thing, but the front of your house is a crucial element of your home’s overall feel. It makes the first impression on you and your guests, after all. If you want to come home to a pleasant sight before you’ve even opened the door, then you might want to consider repaving the path leading up to the door and putting some plants on the front window sills. You could even repaint the front door to give it a “fresh” feel. Reinvent the front of the house, in other words.

With spring just around the corner, there is no better time than now to give your home a new beginning and spruce things up a bit!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb22

Blush, Baby – Maybelline Dream Bouncy In Fresh Pink Edition

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Blush, Baby – Maybelline Dream Bouncy In Fresh Pink Edition

Howdy! After trying many a different brands of blushes over the years, my all time favorite would have to be Maybelline’s Dream Bouncy blushes. It is a cream blush and the best word to describe its texture really is bouncy. It’s soft, cushiony, and feels barely there lightweight on the skin. I have quite a few Dream Bouncy blushes in various shades, but my go to color from the start has always been Fresh Pink:

bouncy2bouncy1bouncy3

Besides for its seven dollar price tag (give or take) and its pillow soft texture, what I like best about the Fresh Pink color is that it’s great for layering and mixing. As I mentioned yesterday, I like to apply my lavender blush over this color for a flower field effect. I also enjoy layering a peach blush over top of it for a sweet mimosa shade. The Dream Bouncy blushes blend effortlessly and the color doesn’t budge all day, which is a wonderful bonus.

The nice thing about this blush is that, despite its brightness before applying, it goes on quite light – which is great. Too bright of blush looks clown-like on me and that is never a good look! The cream texture and soft pink coloring leaves my skin looking dewy and fresh. I always keep Fresh Pink well stocked in my makeup hoard and I use it every day that I wear makeup. Maybe she’s born with it? Maybe it’s Maybelline! 😉

What is your favorite drugstore brand of makeup? Do you prefer cream or powder blush? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

What It Takes To Join The Army

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What It Takes To Join The Army

If we are honest, all countries need their military at present, although it is not the case that everyone is suitable for military service. But if you are thinking about joining your army, you might well be wondering whether or not you actually have what is required to make that happen. It’s no secret that it takes plenty of training and a lot of time before you can get fully admitted into the army – but in the first place, you need to work out whether you are made of the right stuff. You might be surprised at just how many people probably are, and if you read on you will see some strong arguments that you might be able to do this as your career – if you so choose to follow that particular line in your life:

A Sense Of Pride:

Something that tends to set apart those who want to be in the army from the rest of the civilians is that they have a deep pride in their country, their homeland, and what it stands for. If you feel that you are particularly proud of your own nation, then you will probably find it easier to become a soldier, or employ another role within the army of your country (see below). Of course, this is not something you can fake, and you either are proud of your country or you are not. But as long as you are, and you are keen to serve that country in the manner of your choosing, you might find that joining the army is a great way to do so. If you are particularly proud, you might even choose to have your time in the army commemorated later on with a coin from MilitaryCoinsUSA or somewhere similar.

A Special Skill:

It’s important to remember that not everyone in the army is a soldier. You have a number of different roles which you might be able to fulfill, and that’s why one of the first things to do is to make sure that you have a certain skill which you can be proud of, and which nobody else necessarily has as well as you. It might be that you are a particularly good chef, in which case you could occupy that position in the army. Or maybe you are an engineer, and you want to do that, instead. Whatever it is, you can be sure that there is some way in which you can make it a part of your life by joining the army of your country. So don’t feel that you have to do some of the less savory acts you might associate with being in the army – there are a whole range of things to do.

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Pexels Image

Commitment:

Once you have made the decision, however, it’s vital that you stick to it. You need to be fully committed to your decision to be in the army if you are to make the most of it, and you might even suffer some poor consequences if you don’t manage to follow through with this. If you don’t know whether you will have the commitment or not, it can mean that you find it much harder to achieve what you want to with your career, so this is an important part of the whole.

Making any major choices in your career path is something that should be thought about very carefully, especially if you are considering a role in your nation’s army.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb21

How Your Sleeping Position Can Impact Your Health

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How Your Sleeping Position Can Impact Your Health

We all know that getting a good night’s sleep is a vital component of health — but did you know the position you sleep in can also be important? On the surface, this sounds like junk science. After all, if you’re sleeping, that’s the bit that counts, surely? Why does it matter how you sleep, so long as you’re doing it?

Numerous studies have concluded that your sleeping position can indeed influence your health. The downside of this is that many people have a preferred sleeping position, and the idea of trying to sleep differently is very difficult to imagine. It therefore makes sense to know the potential downsides of your preferred sleeping position, so you can take action to mitigate the effects:

Side Sleepers:

The bad news…

  • Side sleepers are the most at-risk group for neck complaints. If you find that you frequently wake up with a sore neck or headache, it’s likely that the body alignment you adopt while sleeping on your side is to blame. Invest in a pillow that is specifically designed to adapt to the curve of your neck, so you are thoroughly supported throughout the night.
  • Side sleepers are also at risk of back and hip problems, again due to the alignment of your body while sleeping. As you can see on this Lull Bed review, side sleepers have been found to enjoy mattresses that conform to their body shape, so keep this in mind when you’re purchasing a mattress.

The good news…

  • Studies have shown that sleeping on your left side can reduce acid reflux for those suffering from GERD.

Back Sleepers:

The bad news…

  • Sleeping on your back does not mean you will necessarily develop a condition called sleep apnea, but sleep apnea sufferers who sleep on their back will definitely exacerbate the condition. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing during sleep; this is usually only momentary and happens without conscious awareness in most cases. If you do have sleep apnea, avoid sleeping on your back to help prevent attacks. You should also be utilizing cpap cleaning machines to keep your cpap sanitary and keeping your doctor updated on any changes to your condition.
  • Back sleepers are also more likely to snore than those who sleep in other positions, which can cause issues with dry mouth and throat pain.

The good news…

  • Sleeping on your back ensures your spine is always in alignment with the rest of your body, so back sleepers are the least likely to experience aches and pains caused by their sleep habits.

Front Sleepers:

The bad news…

  • Lower back pain is a real risk for front sleepers, as your body is forced to flatten unnaturally. Try sleeping with a pillow under your abdomen to mitigate this.
  • Neck pain is also common for front sleepers. Most specialists recommend using pillows to train yourself to sleep on your side, as front sleeping is generally considered to be the worst sleeping position.

The good news…

  • Snoring is less common in front sleepers.

In conclusion:

Now that you know how to prevent any issues caused by your sleeping position, you can make a few changes and ensure that your sleep is always as beneficial and restorative as it should be.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb21

Blush, Baby – Clinique Pansy Pop Edition

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Blush, Baby – Clinique Pansy Pop Edition

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Aside from lipstick, my favorite makeup is probably blush. Creams, stains, powders – I love it all. As a pale princess, I can always benefit from some added color to my cheeks and I think that it is such fun to pick out different shades to apply. I love pinks and peaches, but the color of blush that I am most fond of is lavender, like my favorite one seen below:

pansy2pansy3pansy

In August of 2016, my sister surprised me with this blush from Sephora, because she knew that I desperately wanted a new lavender blush to replace my fallen favorite. It was the sweetest thing and here I am in February of 2018 with a decent amount left and still loving it every time I blend it from the apples of my cheeks to over my eyebrows for a beautiful band of color. I like to wear my Clinique Pansy Pop blush over one of my go to pink shades so that the color has a strong base, because without it, the shade is a bit too light. It works like a charm!

There is something about lavender blush that just speaks to me. I like it, because it is more interesting than your basic pinks and nudes – it really adds some flower girl fun to my face. I also like how shades of purple bring out the green in my hazel eyes, which makes for a change in my eye color for the day. I am usually not one to buy high end makeup, but this twenty-two dollar Clinique blush has lasted me a year and a half so far – and you really can’t beat that. 😀

What is your favorite shade of blush to wear? How do you make your eye color pop with makeup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah