Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Jan24

Hair Day!

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Hair Day!

Howdy!! This past weekend, I enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Shear Shop to get my hair right. It was a most exciting visit because my beloved stylist, Anna, became the new owner of the salon! I was ecstatic when I saw the breaking news on Facebook and was so eager to be able to congratulate her in real life. Anna has been doing my hair for over two decades now and we are incredibly close. I am so proud of her for this next step in her journey and all of the hard work she has put in for the greater good of the salon and staff. She is simply the best. ❤

This time around, we were going to do a slight variation to the color palette we established at my last appointment. We were originally using a combination of Pulp Riot’s Nightfall, Eloped, Vintage Vegas, and Pyro. While the soft peachy shade of Eloped was pretty, it didn’t do anything for me as it started to fade. So, our plan was to brighten things up. We kept with Nightfall and Pyro, but used a mixture of neon orange Lava and Eloped for a more pronounced pop:

With our game plan prepped, it was time to bleach! Using darker colors has been great for the health of my hair because the bleach only needs to sit for twenty minutes. When I go light for the summer, it’s a totally different story lol. After the bleach has been washed out, Anna and I always find ourselves not hating the results. In fact, we were obsessed this time and it gave us mermaid vibes that we will be using as inspiration for sweet summertime. Check it out:

Despite loving what the bleach did, winter is here to stay and Anna began to paint my hair with my cold weather hues. We have had a lot of trial and error when it comes to color placement and Anna has truly perfected her method. Sometimes, the colors can get muddy when we are trying to do several different placements with multiple colors. During my last appointment, she wanted to try a more simple approach: Paint my roots, do one color for the top layer, and one color for the bottom layer. It worked like a charm and she employed the same method as it yielded excellent results. And made me look like a bird of paradise:

After my Pulp Riot concoction sat for fifty minutes, it was time for a wash, a cut, and the grand reveal. Thanks to Anna’s ingenious technique, we were able to fully see each color for what it was. A bold, deep red at the roots, vibrant orange, and a midnight sky navy blue. Whenever I go to the Shear Shop, I always leave feeling like a billion bucks. This time, though, I felt like a billion AND then some!

I cannot wait for all of you to see my new do so stay tuned for a brand new OOTD to show it off coming soon!

Where do you go to get your hair done? How long has your stylist been doing your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan23

Stayin’ Alive

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Stayin’ Alive

Hello! As an Independent Provider, it is required to get recertified in CPR and First Aid every two years. I am always more than happy to do so because not only is this certification beneficial for my clients, but it can help my family, friends, and perfect strangers too. This past weekend, I had my in person skills assessment at a church in Akron. I am pleased to report that I didn’t burst into flames and that I passed with flying colors! 😀

I have been working in my field for a decade, which means this was my fifth CPR and First Aid training. In my group, a majority of the people had never taken a class before and I became the guinea pig of the day. I could tell that everyone felt pretty nervous and, honestly, it made ME nervous to be the first one to perform skills because what if I suck lol. I vividly remember my first CPR and First Aid training. There was SO. Much. Information. and it was incredibly overwhelming. The anxiety for me was palpable that day and I could literally feel it in the air at class this weekend. Thankfully, everything went without a hitch and it made me feel good to help ease some nerves and encourage and guide others.

CPR and First Aid are life saving skills and can be one of those things that you lose if you aren’t doing them often. I was SO glad to be able to have a refresher because our teacher for the day was excellent. I was incredibly appreciative of the fact that she really took the time to pinpoint areas of improvement with each student, myself included. She was also very calm and collected, which I liked a lot. By employing the pro tips she taught and trying to emulate her cool as a cucumber demeanor, it made performing the skills more natural and increased my confidence. You never know what the scene will be like during an emergency situation and it was such good practice to be able to match her energy and maintain a level head with each skill.

If you have never taken a CPR and First Aid course, I truly can’t recommend it enough. These aren’t just skills for people in specific jobs, they are for everyone to learn. Hopefully, you will never encounter a situation that warrants using these life saving techniques. However, should it happen, you will be well equipped to help.

Do you know how to do CPR? What song do you use in your head? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello! Every year, I like to spoil myself with a Christmas gift and I knew just what I wanted: The completed set of Preacher! I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth back into one of my favorite graphic novel series and that meant waiting for all of them to ship. In the meantime, I had nothing to read and noticed that my mom had a copy of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden sitting on the table. I decided to crack it open and I was immediately in. Unfortunately, the book was due to be returned the following day but I still wanted to see it through. I didn’t have to wait long for the book at the library and devoured it in days. In a spoiler free setting, as always, let’s discuss. However, before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Housemaid for domestic violence and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Millie is an ex-convict who is living in her car and recently got fired from her job at a bar. As per her parole, she needs a new job and fast. She applies here, there, and everywhere and by some miracle, gets an interview with a Nina Winchester for a live in housekeeping position. The job seems too good to be true: Cleaning, cooking, occasional care for Nina’s daughter, and a roof over her head. Millie felt satisfied with her interview but didn’t hear back from Nina immediately. Then, after another agonizing week of calling her car her home, Millie got the call. She’s in!

The next day, Millie heads to the Winchester mansion as a new employee. As she walks to the door, she expects a warm greeting from the landscaper, Enzo. Rather, she gets a message from him in Italian that she is in danger. Okay… That was weird, but she needs this job and into the home she goes. Nina gives her the lay of the land, including Millie’s new bedroom – a tiny attic with a single cot, dresser, a window that doesn’t open, and a door that can only lock from the outside. Once again, weird but did I mention that Millie needs this job?

Despite her less than luxurious accommodations, Millie is determined to make the most of this opportunity. She likes Nina and her dreamboat husband Andrew, she’s not opposed to hard work, and she doesn’t want to go back to jail. However, after one day of work, she notices oddities in Nina’s behavior and they don’t let up. She accuses Millie of throwing out her PTA meeting notes and destroys the kitchen trying to find it. She tells Millie the wrong location to pick her daughter up from school only for her to learn that she doesn’t need a ride after all. Millie is gifted with Nina’s old clothes and is then threatened with a call to the police when Nina claims she stole them.

Millie isn’t the only one to notice Nina’s strange behavior. Her gossipy friends find pleasure in laughing behind her back about it. Andrew, on the other hand, finds no humor in the situation and as he and Nina grow apart, him and Millie get closer. Millie knows it’s wrong to be pining after a married man, but Andrew just seems so sad and dejected and she doesn’t understand how such a good person could be married to someone like Nina. He should be with Millie, instead. As their forbidden love blossoms, Nina is slowly but surely edged out. With the crazy wife out of the picture, everything should be perfect, right? So wrong! What happens next? Read The Housemaid to find out!

As you all know, I love playing detective. I like to consider myself a decent sleuth and have a pretty high success rate in figuring out grand reveals well before they happen. In the case of The Housemaid, I knocked it out of the park. To the letter, I predicted Every. Single. Twist. that arose and it was a real feather in my cap lol. I tend to not like books that are “too easy” to figure out as I revel in a super shocking grand reveal. However, I still really liked The Housemaid and considered it to be unputdownable.

Regardless of essentially knowing how the plot was going to play out, it was a story that was juicy AF. I was invested in the characters, but also how the book itself was written. It felt like there was some minor twist or clue in every single page and it kept me turning them until there was none left. Freida McFadden expertly crafted this book because she truly gave you everything you needed to know. Whether you used it or not was up to you. I did and it didn’t make The Housemaid any less enjoyable and I never thought I would say that about a book where I saw the ending coming from a mile away.

Overall, I am going to rate The Housemaid with an eight out of ten stars. I wouldn’t call it my favorite book I’ve ever read, but I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the sequel!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan21

Digital Marketing Tips

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Digital Marketing Tips

The world of digital marketing is vast and, honestly, can be a bit overwhelming! Creating a healthy and successful online presence whether it be for your business or yourself takes time and work. It also takes trial and error because every online presence is different. What works for your best friend’s brand might not work for you. Thankfully, some constants in digital marketing remain despite an ever changing online world. Let’s take a look at what you can focus on in this moment to take your brand to the next level:

Patience Is a Virtue:

We all know that what we put out online whether that be through social media or your own website has the potential to go viral. Of course, going viral is an excellent goal to strive for – imagine breaking the internet with one single piece of content! Is this achievable? Sure! Many people have done it. However, your page may not be as healthy as others if you are simply focusing on a viral status. Rather than a “do it quick” mentality, take the time to truly cultivate your page and allow it to grow naturally through your content and interactions. Viral status can be short lived but a stable platform with true fans, followers, and customers lasts forever. Don’t forget the importance of that, even if it is taking longer than you would like to see growth. Good things take time!

Creating meaningful content is the name of the game and if you are a business owner, you might not have the time or staffing to commit to this crucial aspect of marketing. If this is the case for you, patiently waiting for when you can squeeze in a few posts or run a handful of ads is not a virtue! Until you have the resources to handle your marketing in house, you might benefit from a digital marketing agency NZ (or your local area) to help you get started on the right foot. The team you choose will work with you to help bring your visions to life so you can focus on the priorities of your business.

Be Boldly You:

Let’s take a moment and think about all of the different websites and social media pages that exist. It’s too many to even put a number on! Knowing that, you must develop a marketing plan that showcases yourself and your vision. Out of all of the places on the internet, people are on your page so what makes it unique? When you can pinpoint that special something, the magic happens and your marketing can revolve around it. This could be with clever social media campaigns, a total website overhaul, or allowing your niche to branch out and cover more topics centered around your key interest. Regardless of what route you take, make one hundred percent sure you are happy with what you are putting out. What people see is their first impression of you even if they live halfway across the world and you want that impression to be a good one.

If you are creating amazing content but find that your website is lacking visual appeal, you might want to get help with its design. The appearance of your page is a direct reflection of your content and you will want it to look as high quality as what you are creating. Consider the help of Pacific IQ Shopify Marketing Services to assist with the design of your page. You will be amazed at the difference a fresh, beautifully designed layout can make!

Know Your Audience:

As your pages develop, you will be able to have a much clearer picture of where your viewers are coming from as well as their age demographic. This. Is. Huge! With this information, you can better curate your strategies to improve the experience for your current audience as well as have the insight to expand the demographic even more. For example, if your primary audience is senior citizens, the chances are high that they are only on Facebook for social media. They also might prefer email marketing like alerts and newsletters. Younger viewers are all about that in app experience with short and sweet video content, bold graphics, and eye catching statements. Your digital marketing should be all encompassing no matter the age or location of your audience so find ways to tap into each demographic with strategies that can be accessed in a variety of ways.

Know When to Get Help:

Feeling lost when it comes to SEO? Not sure where to start with building a website? This might be the perfect opportunity to explore how a marketing agency can support your efforts. The key is finding an agency that specializes in your industry – after all, a fashion website has completely different needs than a car dealership site. For instance, if you work in insurance, you could benefit from services tailored specifically to insurance broker seo. Partnering with specialists can fast-track your progress and give you the confidence to tackle more ambitious marketing goals as your business grows.

When you consult with a digital marketing agency like Dragonfly Digital Marketing, your goals for your website will be front and center. It’s a good idea to have some milestones you are hoping to achieve in mind before a consultation so the experts can put together a plan to help you meet them. Working with a marketing agency could be just what your page needs to expand your audience even further.

Digital marketing is strategic, yes, but it should be fun too. This is your chance to put your big idea front and center so develop a comprehensive plan, seek help as needed, and have a blast creating!

Jan21

Date Night!!

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Date Night!!

Hello!! As per my New Year’s Resolution, I have been diligently penciling in at least one outing per weekend. Honestly, I can’t remember doing so much over the weekends as I have these past few weeks and it feels awesome to be having fun! This past Friday, Johnny and I went on a special Date Night to celebrate his new position at work. We are simply thrilled over this latest development so a night out was definitely in order. Johnny wanted to go to the arcade restaurant located in downtown Cuyahoga Falls called The Workz. That sounded great to me because their food is the bomb, so off we went:

By the time Date Night rolled around, Johnny and I were both famished and, thankfully, we were seated immediately. The Workz is a really popular spot, especially on Friday, so we had a Plan B should it have been too crowded. Happily that wasn’t the case because we both had been talking about their food all week lol. We had a delightful waitress who recently moved back to Ohio with her daughter, who also worked at the restaurant. In between waiting for drinks and dinner we had a lively chat about recommendations for hair and nail salons and it was so nice for two reasons. 1) I love sending people to my go to salons. And 2) It took our minds off of how hungry we were!

After sipping on drinks, a Margarita for me and some tropical cocktail or another for Johnny, our food was hot and ready. I’m pretty sure I heard the hallelujah chorus when our meals arrived at the table! Johnny got a smashburger with truffle fries on the side for us to share and I got their white cheddar mac n’ cheese which is DIVINE. We were both enamored by the little basket the fries came in and even more so by the taste. This was the first time we tried their truffle fries (My favorite!) and they were easily some of the best I’ve ever had.

We made quick work of our dinner and decided to stick around for a bit longer to play some games. By this time, The Workz was pretty jam packed so we opted to get forty credits on a game card and head home afterwards. This didn’t take long at all because the hatchet throwing game took eight credits per player so we could only play through it together twice. However, I could have stayed there playing all night because your girl was a natural!! Almost every single throw, I got a bullseye and there was nothing more satisfying than hearing that “thwack”!!

After retiring home for the evening, Johnny and I finished building our Malfoy Manor Lego set and it turned out amazing. I can’t wait to show all of you! Needless to say, it was a very successful Date Night!!

What did you do this weekend? Do you have any arcade eateries in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan20

CleanBeauty Barrier Support Facial Oil Review

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CleanBeauty Barrier Support Facial Oil Review

Hello!! In mid-October, I had a most excellent skin care haul at TJMaxx. I ended up with several new to me products as well as one that I was really excited about because I truly thought that I had used it before. During a previous haul, I fell in love with a Vitamin C serum by CleanBeauty and had my fingers and toes crossed that I would find it again. I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I saw a CleanBeauty serum on the shelves that I assumed was the same one because, at a glance, the bottles looked exactly the same. But, you all know that old saying about when you assume lol. Rather than my beloved Vitamin C serum, I ended up with a facial oil, instead *face palm*. Take a look and let’s discuss:

I consider myself to be very lucky because my skin type has been incredibly normal all of my life. I don’t experience acne, oil, or dry skin and this allows me to be able to experiment with a lot of different types of skin care. Normally, I do shy away from facial oil products just as a personal preference. However, when I realized I had a case of mistaken serum, I was eager to try the facial oil by CleanBeauty anyways. This Ohio winter has been absolutely brutal, especially within the past few weeks, and I figured it would do my skin good to have an extra protective barrier against the frigid cold. In theory, it sounded great. In practice, not so much.

This product is a prime example of why I don’t like facial oils lol. Every time I apply it, I try to use the smallest amount humanly possible on my face and neck. Regardless of the thimbleful application, this facial oil sits on your skin All. Day. Long. It doesn’t absorb whatsoever and after an hour or so, it just feels like you have residue that won’t come off. I hate it! This facial oil is a pain in the keister to apply makeup over so I just haven’t been wearing any – even on the weekends. Is my skin softer? No question. But, that’s not the end all be all because I have achieved softer, smoother skin with plenty of other products!

If you have extremely dry skin, then I think you will love this facial oil and it will be beneficial. For any other skin type, though, this is a product you can skip on and I cannot wait to use it up so I can kiss it goodbye!

How do you protect your skin during the winter? Which products have you not been impressed with recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Moving Right Along

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Moving Right Along

Howdy!! One of the comments that I get several times a week from the people I see and talk to frequently is: “I don’t know how you manage everything”. I have three jobs that keep me very busy, but I like to think that I have my juggling act down to a science. This isn’t something that happened overnight, rather something that has been perfected over time as I have been self employed for over a decade. It can be a delicate dance when you have a crazy schedule to keep your head above water. However, once you have it down, you can do that dance backwards and with your eyes closed! Here is what helps me:

I love my jobs:

The most important thing is to love what you do for a living and I certainly do! I love working with people with special needs, I love my blog, and I love being a social media manager. If I was absolutely miserable in any of these positions, I wouldn’t dedicate so much time to them. It makes me feel good to be a boss lady, but boss ladies know when to take a step back. As soon as I start feeling like something isn’t a good fit, I make immediate plans to change it and follow through until that is accomplished. It’s what keeps my work exciting and makes each day a joy rather than a chore.

It’s all in the timing:

Of course, time management is the next most important step to making a hectic schedule work. Through trial and error, I created a schedule that allows for me to complete every single task and be done when I return home so I can enjoy my evening with Johnny. Making a perfect schedule for yourself is like assembling a puzzle and once you get the pieces right, there is nothing that you can’t do. For a long while, I would still work a bit once I got home for the day no matter how badly I wanted to sink into the couch. The last step in my master schedule was eliminating this and I feel even more capable because I’m using my evenings for what they were intended for – relaxing!

Listen to yourself:

No one knows you better than you and rather than push yourself, you need to listen to yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I avoided taking breaks or simply a day off and it did me no favors. It made me resentful, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Honestly, this is one of the major things I still need to work on but I am getting better at it. You can only push yourself so much until you break so don’t let yourself get to that point. If something is feeling off, don’t just brush it aside because it’s your mind and body sending you a message. Listen to it because burnout is a very real thing and you have all of the tools to prevent it.

Go with the flow:

It’s no secret that my schedule is god lol. I have to admit, that I do tend to get a little panicky when my day isn’t moving as it should. This is why I am really making an effort to implement a go with the flow attitude. Being high-strung all day is exhausting and I always have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that things might not go accordingly to plan no matter how much you plan. While I do still experience some anxiety during a not to the T day, it has decreased substantially as I have to remind myself that even the most well thought out schedule needs some wiggle room.

I am well aware that there are still things that I need to work on when it comes to my work week. Keeping all of the above at the forefront of my mind helps me and I hope it does the same for you!

Do you follow the same schedule every day? How do you improve your work flow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan18

Ladies Lunch

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Ladies Lunch

Hello!! I decided to actually make New Year’s Resolutions this year and I am pleased to report that I have been crushing. So much so, in fact, that I even added a new goal to achieve. My primary focuses are to continue going to the gym, firmly saying “no”, making more time for friends, and taking better care of my teeth. Every weekend since, I have had some type of outing with friends or family and I really do feel better for it. With a crazy demanding work schedule, it almost seemed impossible to make time for fun over the weekend because I was too dog tired. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still tired lol but now I feel like my weekends are a source of pleasure rather than counting down the minutes to my next shift.

This past weekend, my outing was to take my sister, Kristen, and three sweet nieces out for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Meson. It is the absolute best and a staple in my neck of the woods. I am always craving El Meson but the hankering was especially fierce as the Mexican restaurant we went to as a family for Christmas did nothing for me. So, I invited my girl squad to a “vanity lunch” so I could squash my cravings and get some quality time in with my four best girls.

Like myself, my girls live for Mexican food so our lunch was the perfect set up to eat, drink, and be merry – and did we ever! My eldest nieces went to town on queso and rice while Kristen and I opted for our usual vegetarian platters. We even toasted with her first drink since having my littlest niece in November and the Margaritas treated us just right! They always do, as did our favorite server who takes care of us every single time we have a lunch or dinner date. Dining at El Meson is forever fantastic, but he makes it that much better.

During the entirety of our Ladies Lunch, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I was. This was my second weekend in a row that I got to spend time with the bestie squad! Prior to making my New Year’s Resolution, I honestly couldn’t tell you if I would have been up to those outings. And, I’m not going to lie, it is taking effort on my part to get myself out the door. However, once the plans are in action, it’s nonstop fun and that is exactly what I need. I even went out to lunch with a friend during my break on Tuesday!! Who am I and where is the normal, never does anything Lil Red?!

Ladies Lunch was a great success and I can’t wait to keep adding more plans to my agenda. It is making my life feel much more full and I am loving it!

What is your favorite local restaurant? What is your favorite kind of outing with friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan17

Driving Safely In The Snow

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Driving Safely In The Snow

Hello!! In my youth, winters in Ohio were brutal. The snow was extreme, the temperatures were frigid, and school cancellations were frequent. When I began driving over a decade ago, it was so important to be well versed in driving in the snow, even if the weather wasn’t “as bad” as I could recall. In fact, I vividly remember driving an hour home from the dealership in my new car during a crazy snow storm and it was terrifying! As the years passed, winters in my neck of the woods became far more moderate and it felt like we barely got snow at all anymore. Then, winter weather came back with a bang this year. Not just in the AK-Rowdy but all across the country. It snowed in Atlanta where my brother lives and the whole city shut down!

I drive a lot for work and I can tell that so many people on the road now have little experience driving in snow. I have to admit, it took me a good minute or two to shake off the rust once it really started coming down here. So, I thought it would be helpful to compile a few pro tips for driving safely in the snow should it hit your area next:

Tap Those Breaks:

The natural instinct should something unexpected happen while driving is to slam on the breaks. But in the snow, this is the worst possible thing you can do because you’re not going to stop. You’re going to slide and that has the potential to cause accidents. Give yourself plenty of space between cars because that will give you the time to be able to break accordingly. Pump those breaks with a tap, tap, taperoo and keep it in mind every time you are prepping to come to a stop.

Proceed With Caution:

No matter the weather, there is always going to be someone on the road driving faster than you. This can be intimidating when it’s snowing because you might get the urge to speed up too. DON’T. Driving in the snow is all about being fully comfortable in regards to handling the car and your speed. Once you push yourself beyond what you feel capable of doing, panic can quickly set in and that can cause even more problems. DO YOU on the road and anyone who doesn’t like it can go around you.

Practice Makes Perfect:

Honestly, I’m pretty lucky to have more years of experience than I care to admit driving in the snow. Many people can’t say the same so don’t let your first trial run be on the road itself. If you are not familiar with driving in the snow, find yourself an empty parking lot as soon as snow starts to fall. Practice breaking, turning, slowing down, speeding up, and anything else you need to get a feel for it. Then, it’s a good idea to take some drives through your own neighborhood or residential areas so you can get experience on less busy streets before hitting the major roads.

It Sounds Silly:

For those who live in snowy areas: How often do you see people inquiring about the conditions of the road on social media? In my neck of the woods, our talk of the town page is always exploding with them! Now, ninety-nine percent of the time, people are happy to let you know. The other one percent is someone saying you’re stupid and they’re a hater! Anyways, if you do find yourself questioning driving conditions – just make a post because the chances are high that you are going to almost immediately get a real time update. If your question has been answered and you’re uncomfortable driving because of it, just stay home until the plows come through. And, yes, you are sure to get an update on that too!

I have driven in some NO joke snow storms this winter and it was scary even with my experience. There is no shame in pulling to the side of the road or hibernating the day away. Your safety is the most important thing!

What is winter weather like where you live? What is the worst weather you have driven through? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Malfoy Manor Lego Build Pt. 1

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Malfoy Manor Lego Build Pt. 1

Hello! This past Friday, Johnny and I made a Target Run to spend a Christmas gift card. As soon as we received it, I know for a fact that we both mentally thought that we could buy a new Lego set with it. So we did! The pickings were slim, but that was okay because we ended up with one that we are both very happy with: Malfoy Manor from the Harry Potter collection. Once we returned home with our purchase, we got to work and spent the evening getting our Lego Masters on. We completed half of the set and it looks fantastic so far! Check it out:

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Although there were quite a few Lego sets that caught our eye, Malfoy Manor definitely spoke to us the most. Even on the box, it just looked spooky and you know we are both all about that! I admit, it is always slightly overwhelming to start a new Lego set because it feels like there is SO much to do. But, as soon as we ripped the first bag open, we were in the zone and laying down bricks like a fine tuned machine. This is what I love about Lego because, for me, it goes from “how are we going to do this?” to not being able to build fast enough!

As it has been a while since Johnny and I built Lego together, the beginning of this build was already an especially fun one. Then, we really started getting going and found so much delight in all of the neat surprises. We loved the gargoyles, birds, toilet (lol), and copious amounts of snakes. It would not be the Malfoy Manor without them! You might notice that there are tons of NPUs (Nice Parts Usage) scattered throughout the build and it’s such a cool thing to see how these seemingly random pieces take form. We really do revel in it.

We spent a good two hours on the first portion of Malfoy Manor and it couldn’t have ended on a better note (As seen in the very last picture). When we began building the Dark Mark imprinted on the ground, we had no idea what it was going to be. We both assumed it was going to be a snake themed pattern and weren’t thinking about the Dark Mark at all. You could only imagine our surprise when it finally took shape and our minds were blown. Lego is truly just amazing like that and it makes each and every build an absolute joy.

I am so eager to finish our Malfoy Manor build this weekend so I can show all of you the end result. I can’t wait to see what other surprises this set holds!

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