Category Archives: Anything & Everything

Aug8

Rad At Rad Air

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Rad At Rad Air

Hi! A few weeks ago my car broke down in a major way and I knew exactly where I was going to have it towed to be worked on: Rad Air, of course! I am blessed to have a fantastic auto shop literally right down the street from my apartment and have been taking my car there for years. I admit, it can be intimidating for me to take my car in for repairs because I legit know nothing about cars lol. However, in all of my time going there I never once felt out of my league. Rather, I felt welcomed by the genuine hospitality of the employees and forever have full confidence in their excellent work and more than fair prices. It really is a gift to be able to take your car to a shop that you trust completely!

All of my experiences at Rad Air have been 12/10 but this past repair really took the cake. My car is an older model and parts had to be ordered which took a bit longer than expected. That was no matter, though, because they gave me a loaner car free of charge. As my parents only have one vehicle, I would have had to miss work without the loaner and that was SO appreciated since I am self employed. I got to drive myself everywhere I needed to be in a fancy Ford Fusion and although I missed my car terribly, I very much enjoyed the sun roof and functioning radio. My radio went kaput a year ago so having some tunes instead of dead silence for a few days was a thrill lol.

While my car was being tended to, I was kindly updated by the staff on its progress and couldn’t wait to pick my baby up! I even scored a sweet deal on the cost thanks to a seventy-five dollar off coupon which helped a lot. 😀 When I was finally behind the wheel of the Little Red Love Machine, I honestly couldn’t believe it. My almost fifteen year old car was running as if it was brand new. In fact, driving it home reminded me of the day I drove it home during a huge snow storm in 2014 when I purchased it. It was all sunshine this time! 🙂

As soon as I got home, I just had to give my go to shop a little shout out on Facebook and was absolutely tickled by their reply. Rad Air really is the only place I would take my Little Red Love Machine!

The moral of this story? That good work never goes unappreciated by me and to always shop around until you find a place that you are comfortable taking your car to. Rad Air for life!! ❤

Where do you take your car for repairs? How long have you had your car? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Auto Adventure

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Auto Adventure

Hello!! My beloved car AKA the Little Red Love Machine AKA the LRLM is in its elderly years at fourteen years old with a solid one hundred seventy five thousand miles. The LRLM is my first car, pride and joy, and it absolutely breaks my heart to know that I won’t get to have it for forever. It seems like something is always going wrong with it and things took a massive downward turn when she started smoking on my way home from work this past week. I don’t mean vaping like her owner but literally smoking lol and so began my Auto Adventure…

When my car started hot boxing, I pulled into the parking lot of Marigold Catering + Events, said expletives loudly, and promptly exited the vehicle. It was the cherry on top of a crap day but it actually didn’t end up being all that bad. Don’t get me wrong, the car situation wasn’t great. However, the employees of Marigold really made a world of difference and I appreciated them SO much! Just as soon as my car was in their parking lot, all of them immediately came to my aid. They even helped put coolant into my car to see if that did the trick. We had our fingers crossed but, unfortunately, the coolant was leaking and I needed to call a tow truck as I was uncomfortable driving it to the repair shop.

It was going to take AAA at least an hour to get to me so I decided to just sit down and read. As I waited, the employees of Marigold continued to check up on me to chat and offer something cold to drink and it was so incredibly kind. As the minutes ticked by while I was waiting for my ride, they began to close up shop. At this point, my tow truck was about ten minutes out and that was to all of our relief because the staff let me know that they were going to stay with me if the wait was longer. These perfect strangers rallied around me in my time of need and, although I was bummed out, it didn’t feel like a massive blow because they genuinely cared.

Once my tow truck arrived, I was beyond ready to get home but enjoyed our pleasant conversation as we rode to the repair shop. We talked about metro parks, local restaurants, and shared a lot of laughs. The cabin of the truck was nice and cool after sitting outside for two hours and it felt so good to finally be on my way home. Johnny was waiting for me at the repair shop that is right down the street from our apartment and I bid my tow truck driver farewell and thanked him profusely (As well as the Marigold staff!). Thanks to everyone’s help, I made it home safely and made some new friends too. I won’t soon forget it!

Car troubles? Sucks. The kindness of strangers turning the situation around? Amazing!! ❤

Have you experienced a random act of kindness recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

Dominating Duolingo

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Dominating Duolingo

Hi! Whenever I am asked the question of what super power I would like to have, my answer remains the same: To be fluent in every language in the world. Learning languages is one of my favorite hobbies and I think that would just be the coolest to be able to communicate with anyone in their native tongue. Accommodating people is so important to me and I can’t think of a better way to do so. That’s why I love learning on Duolingo so much! In fact, I just reached a three thousand day streak which translates to over eight years of daily language learning. Great success!

My primary focus on Duolingo has always been French and then I began adding other languages to my arsenal. I have been working hard on my Italian to be able to have casual conversations during my upcoming vacation. I even began learning Japanese about a half a year ago should my brother and I ever go on our dream vaca to Japan together! Over the years, I have started learning languages and dropped them. This isn’t for a lack of wanting to learn them but because I refuse to pay for Duolingo Plus and don’t have the amount of health to work on anything beyond four languages. This, I know for a fact because I just added Spanish back into the mix again.

When I started using Duo almost a decade ago, I got pretty far in the Spanish course and made it to level four. Then, other languages piqued my interest and took its place. However, I still know a lot of key words and basic phrases and recently got to put that knowledge to use. A few weeks or so ago at the gas station there was a man speaking Spanish to the employee who couldn’t understand him. I did and was able to help with his purchases and it felt SO good. Just having that beginner knowledge allowed me to assist someone else and that was my super power coming to fruition. So, I started relearning Spanish again in the hope of more interactions just like that.

Every morning I start my day by practicing French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese and it brings me so much joy. I love learning new things and being able to take the time to improve my passion one lesson at a time. I might never be fluent in every language in the entire world and that’s okay. Because simply knowing a handful of words or phrases can open up entire worlds too and my gas station experience proved that. I am Duolingo’s number one fan and I encourage all of you to start learning a new language for free too. You will surprise yourself and have a lot of fun!

Huge shout out to Duolingo. I may never pay for your Plus membership but I still love you all the same lol!

Which languages do you speak? What are you learning on Duolingo? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

A Whole Lotta Nothing

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A Whole Lotta Nothing

Hi!! Johnny and I have a very strict work week schedule. We are both up around three o’clock so he can prepare for work and I can work from home before visiting clients, then we are in bed by six thirty at the latest to do it again the next day. Needless to say, we don’t do much during the work week unless we absolutely have to to maintain our regularly scheduled programming. Then, on the weekends, we are usually booked solid with plans with friends and family to make up for our five day all work and no play cycle. After what felt like weeks of nonstop work and hang outs we, blessedly, had a low key weekend and it was amazing!!

Outside of stopping by my sister’s house on Friday for a rousing pizza party and viewing of the new Descendants movie, Johnny and I were free as birds this past weekend. And these birds wanted to stay right in their cage! We spent our days off playing games while the other one was sleeping – CyberPunk for Johnny and Pokopia for me and had TV marathons with movies and shows. I was SO excited to finally watch Obsession with Johnny which we both loved and we binged on Blockbuster and Supernatural. We just started watching Supernatural a couple of days prior and had a lot to catch up on… Only fifteen seasons but who’s counting?! 😀

I knew our tanks were running low but I don’t think I realized how much so until we had some free time to veg out. In fact, we even had plans on Saturday but cancelled because we had already become one with the couch. Because of the constant craziness of our schedule, I often begin my work day on Monday feeling like I just didn’t have enough time for myself. That is so not the case as I type this at four o’clock on Monday morning! I feel refreshed, renewed, and wide awake and it is a most welcome change of pace. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy our weekend outings but it’s to say that sometimes it’s nice to do A Whole Lotta Nothing!

Oftentimes, we don’t notice that we’re getting burned out until it hits us all at once. I think this weekend qualifies as preventative care because any burned out-ness I was feeling has been stopped in its tracks. I’m ready to get back to the grind so bring it the heck on!!

How do you like to spend lazy days? Are you a weekend planner or do you go with the flow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May4

Yay For 30K!

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Yay For 30K!

Hello and hurray!! Way back in March of last year, I threw caution to the wind and decided to make a TikTok. I had just left a crappy job and had some time to kill so I figured why not? As you all know, I am a word girl through and through and video content was quite a big jump for me. And, honestly? I freaking HATED it at first! However, after a few weeks I realized that TikTok is kind of fun and have been dedicated to posting daily content since I started my profile. For over a year now, I have been posting silly little videos and I am pleased to report that I just reached the 30K like landmark!

When I made my TikTok, I had no intention of going viral or becoming an influenster. It was made purely with the thought of being an extension of the content that is already posted on my blog. Just a little extra insight into Lil Red’s world in short and sweet clips. Do my videos have a crazy amount of views? Hard no. Do I have a ton of followers? Also no. But am I proud of trying something new and sticking to it? Absolutely! Video content is WAY out of my comfort zone and it still feels weird to me. So, this 30K milestone really did feel like a pat on the back for giving it a go and having some laughs along the way.

When it comes to my blog, creating daily content feels like second nature because I have done it for so long. It has truly been an exercise in always looking out for the little things that make life special. With that mindset, making video content and maintaining a streak just feels good. TikTok really has become part of my daily routine and even if it’s not blowing up, it’s still there and that’s all I can ask for. It’s another corner of the internet carved out by yours truly with a lot of care. Somewhere that my creativity shines and if people like it, that’s nice!! 30K likes is even nicer, though! 😀

If you feel the urge, give me a follow on TikTok @lilred6794 . I can’t wait to see you there! ❤

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

Feb10

YAY! 6.5 Year Blogging Streak!

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YAY! 6.5 Year Blogging Streak!

Hello everyone!! I started lifewithlilred in September of 2014 and can’t believe I’ll be on my twelve year blogiversary this year! It literally feels like just yesterday when I got enough people telling me I should start a blog and I threw my hands in the air and said “why not?”. Since its conception, lifewithlilred has been a labor of love. I have always enjoyed writing and have been committed to creating a happy space for myself and others as soon as my first post published. Somewhere along the line, I decided that a few articles a week just weren’t enough and made it my goal to post daily content. I am pleased to report that I have officially crossed the threshold of having over six and a half years worth of articles published every day. It’s freaking crazy!

I often get asked how I continue to come up with content to post and my answer is a combination of a few different things. 1) First and foremost, it’s FUN! 2) It’s one of my favorite forms of self care. 3) I love interacting with my readers. And, perhaps most importantly of all – 4) I am stubborn lol. Once I start a streak of something, I simply refuse to stop. The challenge is incredibly motivating and publishing daily is so ingrained in me that I would hate to think of how I would feel if I didn’t sit at my computer and write every day. My suspicions all point to that it would feel freaking terrible. So, I will continue to pop a squat at my laptop with a smile because to reiterate Point 1, it is so much fun. 😀

I would say that I was a pretty lonely kid growing up. I didn’t have a lot of friends and that remained to be true until the end of high school. One of the few things that made me feel better as a teenager was social media. A place where I could post anything and everything and I knew at least someone was looking at it. Eventually, I began to post OOTD pictures which led to my friends on Facebook telling me that if I started a blog that they would read it. The sentiment was so kind and I figured that if my handful of people I interacted with on social media would pop by, maybe others would too. My goal when I started lifewithlilred wasn’t to make money or become famous but to hopefully make friends and expand my very small circle. It didn’t matter to me where anyone was located, just to have someone to talk to and have a space on the internet where I could shout into the void.

And you know what? As soon as my blog started, the loneliness began to dissipate. Every view was exciting, every comment a potential new friend and even a best friend too! Within weeks of starting my blog, the blogosphere brought me Kate of Live In The Nautical and we have been inseparable ever since. Everything I hoped for was happening and I am always going to feel so grateful for it. I went from writing the saddest shit in the world in my journals to writing on my blog for the pure joy of writing in the blink of an eye. lifewithlilred became my safe space. A place that I got to grow and nourish until I forgot why I was ever lonely to begin with.

All of this is a very long way of saying that I keep my daily content streak alive for the lonely girl I was. I keep it going for anyone who feels like they need a friend. Or anyone that needs the reminder to continue plugging away with a smile on their face and a kind word on their lips. lifewithlilred started for me but I realize that it has always been for all of you. I feel so proud to have maintained my streak, formed a happy place for myself and others to retire to, and found the best friend in the world to boot. I am eternally thankful for the encouragement I received to get this blog ball rolling as well as the encouragement to keep sticking to it. Because who knows what will be on my page next?!

Thank you to everyone who has ever stopped by on lifewithlilred. You made a huge difference to me! ❤

What helps motivate you? Do you have a streak going in anything? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Coffee

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Don’t Cry Over Spilled Coffee

Hello! I wanted to share a little story that happened to me a week or so ago. My beloved downstairs neighbor unfortunately fell and went to a rehab center after he was released from the hospital. I visited in both locations as often as I could and when I had a fully open morning I brought us coffee from Starbucks with one of my Christmas gift cards. Two venti iced coffees were the move and I didn’t even sip on mine in the car as the drive over was short. As I carried some extra supplies for him and our bevvies into the rehab center, I thought how badly it would suck if one of the drinks spilled. I suppose I must have manifested it because that is exactly what happened. SMH -_-

As I set down the drinks to sign into the center, one of them toppled over and it was like it happened in slow motion while I experienced the deja vu of what I just thought. I was happy it was my coffee that spilled but not so happy that it spilled everywhere. The reception desk was hit but it was primarily on the ground. After the coffee catastrophe, I could legit not apologize enough to the receptionist and she was SO unbelievably kind. As we both cleaned up the spill together, I was sure to tell her so and then she told me a story that went like this…

While shopping at Aldi, she accidentally dropped a glass jar of pasta sauce that shattered everywhere. She didn’t want to just leave the spill and a kind person in the aisle found an employee and they all cleaned it up together. I told her that she was the kind person in my own spill scenario and I could tell how happy it made her. My oopsie daisy probably happened right when her shift was starting and instead of it messing up her day, she wished me a better one. She also lamented over how sad it was that I didn’t even get a sip of my caffeine and I really appreciated that because it sucked just as badly as I imagined it lol.

All of this is to say that the nice receptionist paid forward the kindness that someone else gave her during her shopping trip and we can all learn from that. The world is a scary place right now and I think everyone needs all of the kindness that they can get. Even things that you think are little can be so helpful so pay someone a compliment. Hold the door open for someone. Bring a coffee to your coworker. Or simply listen when someone is having a bad day or has something on their mind. Whether you are helping someone mop up spilled coffee or bringing your neighbor a plate of dinner you cooked, it all makes a difference. Thanks to my receptionist hero’s bright attitude, this turned into a situation that wasn’t worth crying over spilled coffee. (Maybe only slightly internally!) Rather, it was a great reminder to keep the kindness going to the next person I encountered. ❤

Everyone has the power to turn someone else’s day around. Use it liberally and the bright side of life shines through!

Have you had any oopsie daisies recently? How did you fix it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb3

New Year’s Resolutions Follow Up

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New Year’s Resolutions Follow Up

Hi! I like to make New Year’s Resolutions every year. They are never anything major, just small goals that I know I can achieve. So, rather, I like to make New Year’s Small Goals every year lol. We are a month into 2026 and I’m pleased to report that my goals have been going swimmingly. I might not meet each of the four tasks I set for myself every day, but I am definitely doing better than I did before and I’ll take it! Baby steps, baby. Let’s follow up and see where I’m at:

Replace Screen Time:

This is probably the most difficult Resolution I have because it’s all too easy to put on a show after work or scroll endlessly on my phone. Especially when the weather is freezing cold! I’m more lenient on myself for evening screen time but I think I have made some big improvements in the morning. Normally if I’m all done working in the AM and have time to kill, I’ll put the TV on and watch until I have to leave for my in person job. Now I’m spending more time scheduling posts far in advance on lifewithlilred, creating content for TikTok, and reading as much as I can of whatever book I’m tackling. It has made my mornings feel much more productive to do something I enjoy like content creating as opposed to just being done once my tasks are done. I might not be as committed to replacing my evening screen time but I think this is a good trade off. 🙂

Keep Moving:

When the weather is warm you can almost always catch me outside walking and hiking with my clients. It’s my favorite form of exercise and there is nothing like enjoying the great outdoors and feeling the sunshine on your face. Of course, being outside is a lot harder to do in single degree temps but I am making an effort. Even when it’s REALLY cold out, I am still bundling up to walk the family dog around the block. I have also been consistently going to the gym with my brother to put in some laps on the track. It isn’t the home workouts I intended on but that’s okay! I was able to modify my go to work out despite the weather and I feel great about that because it’s a lot more than I would normally do in the winter.

Mental Boost:

Engaging in more positive self talk was one of my goals and I think this is the one I’m doing the best at and I can tell! I have always had a hard time speaking kindly to myself and am my toughest critic by far. So, when negative thoughts begin to form I have been trying my best to redirect it. Rather than lament about going to work, I turn it around to that I’m going to have an excellent day. Or, perhaps something nice might happen and instead of questioning the motive or my worthiness, I shift it to “why not me?”. Thinking things that allow me to smile has made my work days go by quicker and I feel like I am enjoying myself way more than normal. A simple change of phrase has been most helpful and I am working hard to focus on maintaining more positive self talk. Soon, it will be second nature!

A New Job?!

I had a job interview in the middle of January and guess what?! Your girl is back in the social media management game and I could not be happier! I am so excited to be partnering with a local business and can’t wait to see what kind of fun we create together. We are still in the preliminary stages at the moment but be sure to keep checking in soon so you can take a look at the pages I’ll be revamping. Hurray!

After examining my New Year’s Resolutions closer, I can see that I’m doing a much better job than I thought and I can’t wait to keep improving more!

How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Is there a small goal you are working towards? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov14

Best Husband Ever!

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Best Husband Ever!

Hello! My darling husband, Johnny, really is a blog husband to the T. He has been taking OOTD pictures (And now TikTok videos!) since our second date over six years ago. Every single shot you have seen on lifewithlilred is compliments of him and words can’t even describe how appreciative I am for it! When the weekend rolls around we shoot one or two outfits and it takes well under ten minutes to do so. Although the sessions are speedy, Johnny always does his running joke… He will him and haw under his breath, say something along the lines of “oh my god”, and proceed to be my photographer while grinning at his cleverness. It has been this way for forever and I could not picture our shoots without him going through his little routine!

Although he puts on his hilarious act, I know so very well how proud Johnny is of me. 1) He tells me so all the time. And 2) He tells literally everyone. This past weekend we had one of our best friends, Cliff, over to watch the Rock Hall induction ceremony. I went to bed after an hour or so and as soon as I went upstairs, I could hear Johnny telling Cliff a story about me. I recognized it immediately as when Spinal Tap shared my OOTD video on TikTok from when we had our date night to see the sequel. Johnny claims that this is the coolest thing that has ever happened and I have to agree! Since that share, Johnny has made it a point to tell every single one of our friends when we see them and it makes me so unbelievably happy. ❤

My Johnny isn’t just a blog husband because he helps me with my content. He is a blog husband because he talks it up every chance he can get. It’s actually really funny because Johnny doesn’t read my blog as he is already living it lol. Despite that, he hypes it up so much and that is true love! He verbalizes and puts into action his pride in my side profession and it means the world. Johnny will even give me suggestions for posts and outfits that I hadn’t thought of and I love that lifewithlilred has given us both a space to be creative.

Johnny’s work hosted a Halloween costume contest and when we both returned home he dove right into a story about it. A group of his coworkers asked him to take a picture and he shifted into blog photographer mode. Thanks to my teachings, he knows how to work angles baby and his coworkers couldn’t believe how well the pictures turned out. He told them it was all because of me and his weekend photography gig. I have a feeling he is going to be the go to guy to snap pics at the next work function!

I am the luckiest girl in the world and Johnny’s help on my blog makes me feel so special. He makes me feel so special and I just love my main squeeze! ❤

Does anyone help you with your blog or social media? What do you appreciate about your partner? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep26

Spinal Tap Shout Out!!

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Spinal Tap Shout Out!!

Howdy! Spinal Tap is one of Johnny’s all time favorite movies and we had a fabulous Middle Class Fancy date night to see the sequel the day it came out. To commemorate the special occasion, Johnny and I wore matching muscle tank tops that was worn by Nigel Tufnel in the first movie. You can peep the OOTD here! A day or so later, I posted a video of my Tap Into Fashion fit on TikTok and didn’t think much of it until I got the most glorious notification this past Friday. Check it out:

When I first got this notification, I assumed it was a fan page. Then, I looked at the profile and was giddy to find out it was the actual Spinal Tap movie page. A page featuring my TikTok set to the tune of Big Bottoms lol. You could have knocked me over with a feather because I genuinely couldn’t believe it. I saw this notification prior to heading back home and the five minute drive felt like an eternity. All I wanted to do was snap my fingers and teleport to Johnny so I could tell him immediately!

As soon as I was home, I came bursting through the door without so much of a hello – just a guess what?! Like me, Johnny was in a state of disbelief before we reveled in this GREAT SUCCESS because honestly wtf? I never expected anything like this because my TikTok is far from popping off and it was confirmation that I am doing at least something right! As a content creator for over a decade, I have had my fair share of wonderful collaborations and so much fun. However, Johnny claims that this was the coolest thing I have ever done and I couldn’t agree more. ❤

This may seem like a small victory but it was a huge deal for Johnny and I as we are such avid fans of Spinal Tap. It made me feel so proud that Johnny started texting all of his former bandmates about it as soon as we recovered from the shock!!

What is the coolest social media interaction you have ever had? What has made you proud recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah