Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Mar9

Something Silly

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Something Silly

Hello!! There is honestly never a dull moment in the apartment community that Johnny and I reside in. Crazy things are always happening and after living here for so long, you just eventually get used to it lol. This past Thursday, I had a difficult time falling asleep and was treated to something that I don’t hear very often: The apartment community at night. Johnny and I go to bed insanely early because we both get up for work insanely early. So, as I attempted to fall asleep, I was hearing ALL of the things that I would normally be sleeping through. There was a heated argument in the apartment beside ours (So juicy!), a car alarm incessantly blaring, and something that made me laugh hysterically and quietly as to not wake Johnny up!

As I was just laying there, I could hear a car zooming through the property. That’s totally normal, but what made this occurrence different was the music being played. Whomever was in the car was straight up BLASTING Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and I wasn’t even mad about it. They had great taste! And, of course, it was impossible not to immediately think of this iconic scene from Wayne’s World:

^^^ I have no rights to this song or video!

I like to think that the passengers in the car were recreating this video together and it was one of those goofy things that I felt compelled to share. That’s apartment life for you!

Have you ever lived in an apartment? Do you have any stories about your time there? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar8

V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD Bloopers

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V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD! Our big Valentine’s Day outing was doing a classic date night of dinner and a show. We had planned on enjoying a meal at the Lockview in downtown Akron before a viewing of our favorite musical, Hadestown, at EJ Thomas Hall. We had a wonderful time but, honestly, the whole evening kind of felt like a blooper reel in itself. Take a look at these SUPER blurry yikes shots and then read all about it:

Party people say heyyyyyy

The face of a gal in a not ideal OOTD shoot situation

TFYM when your favorite musical is a lightweight bust

What was that one horror movie where the faces of people in pictures blurred? Or am I totally making that up?

Extreme jazz hands

I LOOK GREAT!!!!

Our evening began by heading to the Lockview for a quick bite before the show. We entered the restaurant and it was packed to the gills with no seating available for hours. It seemed like everyone in the greater Akron area had dinner plans there so we had to go back into the frigidly cold great outdoors to implement Plan B. Another restaurant was directly beside the Lockview so that was the move, until it wasn’t lol. That restaurant was closed and now we were in panic mode. We were both hungry AF and on a time crunch at that point to eat, take OOTD shots, find parking for the show, and arrive to our seats in time for the opening number.

With literally no other options available, we headed to the bar down the street because surely they had food! They did but, once again, everyone in the greater Akron area stole our plans lol. The joint was jumping when we walked in and it was insanely understaffed. Our poor waiter was running around like a mad man and we felt so bad. We placed our order and as we waited, we were glued to the time on our phones because we were getting down to the wire here. The show started at seven thirty and it was well after six. When our food did arrive, it was SO good but we had to wolf it down because by the time we were done, we had a little over thirty minutes to get ourselves to the theater and park the car.

As you can imagine, parking was an absolute fiasco and we blessedly found a spot in a nearby parking garage. The time check was 7:22 and when I tell you we RAN to the theater lol I was going to be damned if we missed one minute of the show! We arrived in our seats with mere minutes to spare and it probably wouldn’t have been the worst thing to be running late because this viewing of Hadestown sucked and I mean that most sincerely.

After we watched the first half of the bad dress rehearsal performance, we both waited in a seemingly endless line for the bathroom. And, by the time we climbed the stairs to our top balcony seats, we once again had minutes to spare before act two. The OOTD shots were the literal best we could do and even those weren’t great lol. So, yeah, this was a Blooper Reel evening through and through but I wouldn’t want to share it with anyone but my main squeeze! ❤

Once we got home from our date night, we had such a laugh about the whole situation and that was the perfect ending to our not accordingly to plan evening!

What was the last musical you saw? What did you think of it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar7

New Sage Green & Light Pink Nails

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New Sage Green & Light Pink Nails

Hello!! This past Tuesday I got to enjoy a break time fill at Elysian Nails and I couldn’t wait. I was absolutely obsessed with my Valentine’s Day Nails and shockingly the obsession didn’t stem from the red hue I used but the prettiest, pale pink. I am normally not one for super light colors but it just hit different and I wanted to revisit a similar shade this time around too. But what to pair it with? Spring is officially in the air in Ohio (kind of sort of) so I embraced the season that can hurry up and get here with this cute combo:

As I approached the nail polish wall at Elysian Nails, I was saddened that I had totally forgot which light pink I even used last time so I spent a few minutes on the prowl. Is the color I ended up with the exact same? I am genuinely unsure but, hey, close enough is good enough! After finding a pink that pleased me, I was keeping my fingers crossed to find a light green to pair it with. I had a backup option in mind because green nail polish can be so hit or miss. Deep greens are lovely but light green can look pukey lol. Then, the bottle of sage green polish caught my eye and I went for it. I actually think it might be new because I would have definitely used it before! I wish it was a bit more translucent but beggars can’t be choosers and I still love how they turned out. ❤

This break time appointment felt like a double break and it was the bomb. I was expecting to have a bit of a wait because the salon owner let me know my tech had a client that ran late and that was perfectly fine. I’m always down for a good scrolling on my phone session lol. Rather than a wait, I was able to head to the chair immediately and my tech literally achieved this fill, reshape, sharpening, two minor repairs, and polish in FORTY MINUTES. It was a mind blowing effort and I was so impressed. Since I didn’t have to rush back to work, I was able to let my polish fully dry AND get to my next shift with time to spare. I ended up having a scroll sesh after all and felt ready to take on the rest of the day with my brand new talons!

My nails are spring so fingers crossed the weather will start matching the vibe. I am SO ready to start hiking again! 😀

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Will you be getting Saint Patrick’s Day themed nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

The Most Important Meal Of The Day

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The Most Important Meal Of The Day

Hello!! Something that I actively suck at has got to be eating breakfast. It sounds stupid, but it’s true lol. After taking care of the bunnies and getting cleaned up early in the morning, I’m never particularly hungry. So, I begin the next part of my routine which is work online and slam ALL of the coffee. There comes a point during my mornings where hunger just hits me like a load of bricks and I either answer the call or put it on hold because I could have an early lunch. They say madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results and, honestly, this current system leaves a lot to be desired. So, I have made a conscious effort to incorporate some semblance of a normal breakfast into my routine compliments of a random craving.

As I was completing a curbside order online last week, I got the most intense white girl craving for avocado toast with everything bagel seasoning. I’m not sure why because I’ve only had it one time before. My sister made it for me a few years back when I was over at her house, it was the bomb, and that was that. I figured I was onto something with this out of nowhere hankering so I went ahead and added all of the fixings for avocado toast into my order. I actually just had some prior to writing this and it was just as bomb as I remembered it being. And *shocker* I actually feel awesome!

I am one of those people who absolutely NEEDS a routine and once I have one established, it is really hard for me to change it. Even if it is just one small thing like making breakfast every morning, I have to adjust all of the moving parts in my day to accommodate it and that is stressful. My routine comforts me and once the mental gymnastics starts, that security blanket feels like it got ripped to shreds. I have to admit, I had some butterflies in my basket when making my brekkie – but my entire world didn’t implode and that initial discomfort was quickly satisfied with something yummy that I wanted to eat. Not only did I feel like I worked better, but I had the sense of pride that I took care of myself by stepping out of my comfort zone. It might be a small step, but it was a big one!

Incorporating monkey wrenches into my work flow and challenging my own made up rules might be stressful, but I often find that the stress relief after the fact outweighs any cons. I have some big life changes coming up soon and adding little blips in my day to day will be a great stepping stone to making that shift easier.

What is your favorite food to have for breakfast? Are you structured or go with the flow during your day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Girls Night!

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Girls Night!

Hello!! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was making more time for friends and fun and I am doing pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. My goal to achieve this was to have one outing per weekend with friends, family, or Johnny. Aside from a handful of lazy weekends, I have been crushing it and it has helped make my life feel fuller – especially considering that I used to have little to no work/life balance. This weekend, I had a girls night with a friend that I knew from high school but started hanging out with this past year thanks to our mutual bestie. We had a glorious night on the town planned until those plans fell through. Plan B was just as glorious, though!

Originally, my girl and I had grand plans of going to the Cashmere Cricket. Like literally everyone in the greater Akron area, this charming martini bar is our favorite. In fact, it’s where Johnny and I had our first date and celebrated our engagement! The Cashmere Cricket has the best food and drinks and the move was to go there for Pickle Martinis and their heavenly Grilled Cheese Dippers. We had been talking about it ALL week and were counting down the minutes until our food fantasies could come into fruition on Saturday. With a pep in my step, I headed to the bar to score us a booth and the joint was jumping. It was packed to the gills and a table wouldn’t be available for several hours later. Talk about a bummer!

Blessedly, there is always Plan B because the best Mexican restaurant ever, El Meson, is right up the street from the Cashmere Cricket. Like the Cricket, El Meson was hopping and it felt like everyone in our neck of the woods had the exact same plans as us! As luck would have it, we got one of the last tables available and were able to eat, drink, and be merry. This was actually a special occasion because my friend just had her second child and this was her first drink after the fact. It made me feel so good that she wanted to share in that with me. ❤

It was an honor to treat her and we did it up with margs and a surprise shot. Our delightful waiter randomly put shots on our table and we weighed our pros and cons. My MAJOR con was that the last time I took a shot at a bar five years ago I threw up immediately SMH. I have never taken a shot since but, hey, when at El Meson. I am pleased to report that it went down smoothly but 5/10 would probably not do again! Sometimes, Plan B just ends up being even better than what you originally had in mind and I don’t think we would have been getting random shots at the Cashmere Cricket! 😀

Cashmere Cricket will definitely be next on our agenda because we now know we should make reservations lol. I cannot wait for another fabulous Girls Night!

What is your favorite local bar or restaurant? What is a perfect night out for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD

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V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to my better late than never V-Day Pt. 2 OOTD! Two weekends ago, Johnny and I wrapped up our Valentine’s Day celebrations by seeing our favorite musical, Hadestown, as EJ Thomas Hall in Akron. Unfortunately, the show left a lot to be desired but we still had a lot of fun! Also unfortunately, our location for our dinner beforehand was completely booked up and that left us in a mad dash to find another option and get to the theater in time. You can read all about that in the Blooper Reel but, long story short, we ended up taking OOTD shots during the super brief intermission of Hadestown. The lighting sucked, these pictures aren’t the best and kind of blurry, but it was the best we could do lol! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Kisses Cami Top: A New Day, Target

Bubble Skirt: A New Day, Target

Heart Toe Kitten Heels: A New Day, Target

The earrings are also from Target and I’m SHOOK that there is nothing from TJMaxx in this look!

I used to LOVE shopping at Target until there came a point when I hated all of the clothes there lol. In fact, I rarely even go to Target anymore so I couldn’t believe how cute all of their Valentine’s Day apparel was during a random Target Run a few months ago. I really had no intention of getting a new outfit for mine and Johnny’s Hadestown date, but I just couldn’t help myself because the OOTD built itself in a matter of seconds. The cami and bubble skirt were on the same rack, the shoes were directly across from them, and I knew it would look great so I went for it!

The first thing that caught my eye in the store was definitely the cami top adorned with red lipstick kisses. I loved the silky material and despite having a holiday themed print, it is something that could be worn year round. That was especially enticing to me because I don’t want to just wear a piece once, but as long as the weather permits. This cami is delightfully reminiscent of my go to tops from French Rooster and it’s nice to have something different because I feel like I wear them all the time. Had I not bought a new outfit, I’m ninety-nine percent confident I would have ended up wearing one or the other of my tried and true camis for Hadestown.

Next, can we please talk about how cute the bubble skirt is?! I have always been enamored with bubble skirts because they are just so whimsical and fun. Until that fateful Target Run, I had never seen one in store so I had to jump on it. I’m elated that I did because it is, hands down, one of my favorite purchases of recent memory. This skirt paired with the cami tucked in created such a unique silhouette and it was freaking awesome. I have never seen myself in a shape like that and it was exciting to wear something so different from the norm. I felt like a ballerina model and what is better than that?!

Last but not least, was shoes and accessories. As I mentioned, the kitten heels by A New Day were just a glance away from the skirt and top. I would have paired this outfit with my Nine West kitten heels but how do you say no to those adorable heart toes? I am also obsessed with the see through sides, which is a style I love but have never found anything I liked enough to get. For jewelry, I chose an elegant pair of three tiered black gemstones to elongate my neck and that was that because my tattoos were my accessory department. 😀

Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel from this look because a majority of these pictures were bloopers and so was the entire evening leading up to the show!

What is your favorite holiday to dress for? What is your favorite pattern to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar3

Clinical Works Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer Review

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Clinical Works Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer Review

Howdy! I absolutely love to shop for skin care at TJMaxx and am always eager to try new brands and products. Whether they are a hit or miss, it’s just nice to try something new and review them. Typically, I have a lot of luck with my selections and am fine with the periodic “good but not great” product. However, I have been really striking out with moisturizers as of late. The ones that I have completed recently literally did nothing for me, which is a bummer because I revel in a good moisturizer! I was expecting a repeat of the “meh” sentiment when I started this Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer by Clinical Works. It turns out that my luck has turned because it is the BEST! Let’s discuss:

Before talking about the product itself, let’s talk price. This is a highly important factor in what I pick out and I simply refuse to spend more than seven dollars on skin care at TJs. I couldn’t believe that this HUGE jar of moisturizer was only five dolla holla and I am not even close to halfway done after a month of twice daily use. Talk about a bang for your buck and my deepest regret is that I didn’t buy the lot that they had available during that haul. Hindsight, as always, is 20/20.

When it comes to moisturizers, my preference is something nice and light with a gel texture. The Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer by Clinical Works lies somewhere between a true cream and a gel moisturizer and it feels as light as air when applied. It absorbs rapidly and it’s easy to forget that I even put it on in the first place. My skin feels so soft with each use and I love the way it looks too. It is dewy, radiant, and glowing. All of this from barely a quarter sized dollop for full coverage on my face and neck. I cannot recommend it enough!

I am going to be SO sad when I finish my jar of Clinical Works moisturizer and will be keeping my eyes peeled for more. Fingers crossed!

What is your favorite moisturizer? Where do you shop for your skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar2

V-Day Pt. 1 OOTD Bloopers

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V-Day Pt. 1 OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel of my V-Day Pt. 1 OOTD! The Part Two OOTD is on the way and as the old saying goes, better late than never lol. On Valentine’s Day, Johnny and I lived our best Middle Class Fancy lives with a dinner at Red Lobster. We had SO much fun and I cannot wait for our next MCF night on the town. It really is one of our relationship staples and I am incredibly curious about what chain restaurant we will go to next. As always, I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Olive Garden! Now, let’s talk a look at these bloopers:

Genuinely unsure of what my eyes are doing here:

SPRINTING to Red Lobster

I LOOK GREAT!!!

Ready to spill ALL the tea

Also about to drop some knowledge from the looks of it

SO FUNNYYYY

Johnny and I have fallen into a deep Investigation Discovery wormhole and I am so not complaining about it. This all started a few months ago when we came to the conclusion that we had nothing to watch after work. We no longer wanted to be depressed by watching Law & Order: SVU and didn’t want to apply the think work to documentaries after a long day. So, Johnny suggested we watch Who The F*** Did I Marry? and we binged it until there were no episodes left. We didn’t mourn this loss because next on our agenda was my personal favorite, Web Of Lies, which revolved around cyber crimes. Like its predecessor, we made quick work of that show too.

We are currently watching Fear Thy Neighbor and, guys, this show is f’ing NUTS lol. I’ll be the first to admit, the first few seasons were hit or miss but the episodes in the later seasons are CRAZY. As you might have guessed, this show is all about super petty feuds between neighbors that turn deadly. Typically, the fights all start with something like too much noise or a dispute on property lines and, I’ve gotta tell you, I just don’t get it!

Mine and Johnny’s running joke throughout the show is “Clearly, they have never lived in an apartment”. In our extensive tenure in our apartment community, we have definitely had some loud AF neighbors and not once have we ever filed a noise complaint. It’s just not worth it! Partying, kids playing outside, and people arguing is just a fact of life. Also, our current neighbor is the best so we won’t be picking fights with a senior citizen anytime soon. Fear Thy Neighbor is, honestly, ridiculous. However, if you are looking for a “WTF” show to put on, I can’t recommend it enough. 😀

Investigation Discovery has become our go to network and I drive home from work every day looking forward to the next installment of our current binge show. I cannot WAIT to watch some more!

What are you currently watching? What is your favorite Investigation Discovery program? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar1

American Murder: Gabby Petito Documentary

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American Murder: Gabby Petito Documentary

Hello! Sundays are always a lazy day with my Johnny. Typically, we’ll watch a few shows or a movie together and he will spend the remainder of the day snoozing away. After he heads back to bed, I get free reign of the TV and watch whatever my little heart desires. This past Sunday, I chose to watch the new Netflix documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito. I’m sure all of you can recall when this tragedy went completely viral and the documentary truly broke my heart. Before we begin, I am going to place a trigger warning on this post for domestic violence and mental abuse. Now, let’s discuss:

A significant portion of this documentary featured Gabby’s interactions with boyfriend/murderer, Brian Laundrie, as she attempted to start a travel blog on van life. It was harrowing to watch. Brian was a rain cloud over such a bright young woman and while she tried to shine, he was sulking. Everything he did was an attempt to extinguish her fire and he simply refused to give a strong woman his support in her efforts to make a name for herself. It felt eerily similar to a past relationship of mine.

I felt compelled to write about this because NO ONE should have the power over you to direct where your life is going to take you. This is important for everyone to hear – especially those who are trying to carve a name out for themselves online. My ex loved to monitor all of my innocent online interactions and would hold them against me. It got to the point where I didn’t talk to any of my friends or go on outings without his permission, amongst a plethora of other BS. It was so mentally draining that I didn’t care about much of anything, even my writing. That hurt so much because blogging and social media was always something I could turn to and it would make me feel better. When that security blanket was taken away I was left with nothing. No friends, no self esteem, and literally no motivation to try to make anything better to prevent arguments. It sucked.

Watching Gabby and Brian together instantly took me back to those dark times because their relationship hit so close to home. I blessedly got out of that relationship and, sadly, there are people who aren’t so lucky like Gabby. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is: If you are noticing these glaring warning signs in your own partner, then you are not experiencing real love. Love gives and receives and it doesn’t take until there’s nothing left. Love is supportive, kind, and should never make you feel less than amazing. Everyone deserves to be loved and to shine in any medium they so choose. It could be online, as an all star at your job, or basking in the warmth of friends, family, and community. Anyone who tells you or makes you feel otherwise is a liar.

If you or a friend are struggling, there is help. Even if you feel like your voice has been silenced, use it. You aren’t crazy, you aren’t wrong in your feelings, and if your gut instinct feels off – you are one million percent right.

What are you currently watching? What are your thoughts on this documentary if you have seen it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb28

February 2025 Finishes

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February 2025 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to my February Finishes! Spring will be here before we know it and I am SO ready for it! Sunshine and warmer days means that my seasonal depression can kick rocks and reveal itself as plain old depression and, honestly, I’ll take it lolol. In fact, we had our first few forty degree and sunny days this past week and it has been glorious. So, without further adieu, let’s wrap this month up and kiss February goodbye:

Would I Use Again?

Hope Soap Honey & Almond Body Cream: YES!!

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Evoluderm Vitamin C Micellar Water: NO

CleanBeauty Barrier Support Facial Oil: NO

Why/Why Not?

Hope Soap Body Cream: I genuinely forgot that I had a Honey & Almond Body Cream from a local business called Hope Soap until I reorganized my beauty stockpile. I have been using it every night for the past month and I’m actually happy that I didn’t know I had it because it’s so perfect for wintertime use. First of all, this cream smells AMAZING. I wouldn’t say it’s a true honey/almond scent because to me and Johnny, it smelled exactly like chocolate covered cherries and we were not complaining! Most importantly, this body cream is so nourishing for dry winter skin. I love its lightness and how quickly it absorbed and my skin felt fully hydrated with each use. My hands tend to get very red during the winter and it was so nice to wake up every morning seeing my normal skin tone!

Evoluderm Vitamin C Micellar Water: I had no idea that my go to brand of micellar water, Evoluderm, had a Vitamin C line so I was excited to try it out. I am a huge fan of any kind of Vitamin C skin care and assumed the best for this product. Unfortunately, the Vitamin C Micellar Water was a big miss for me. My skin always feels amazing after using my standard Hydrating version and that sensation just wasn’t there. Not only that, but the Vitamin C micellar water was not the best at makeup removal. I really had to scrub to get my makeup off and even after that, remnants of my MOTD was still there. Once again, that was never the case with my old standby so I will be sticking with it from now on.

CleanBeauty Facial Oil: This facial oil was actually a mistake purchase because the similar packaging made me think that it was a serum by CleanBeauty that I loved. It wasn’t a big deal and I liked the idea of using a facial oil during the winter. This one, however, was just too much. No matter how little of the oil I applied, it still felt suffocating on my skin. This product was thick, literally never absorbed, and was a nightmare to put makeup over. It took me over a month of twice daily use to complete the bottle and I was ecstatic when I was done. Unless you have SUPER dry skin, this is a product that can definitely be skipped on.

Smell ya later, February! Here’s to ALL of the springtime fun here on lifewithlilred! ❤

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