Category Archives: Friends

Sep3

Friday Night Dinner Club

Posted on September 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Johnny and I truly hit the jackpot when we moved into our bigger apartment a few years ago. We have ample space, were able to get the bunnies because of it, and best of all – we have the best neighbor! Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, is one of my favorite people in the world. He is in his late sixties and I always like to think of him as my pseudo grandpa. Johnny and I would see Tony outside every day on his smoke breaks and we became fast friends after making introductions. We love going to the gun range together, shooting pool, watching movies, and participating in Friday Night Dinner Club.

Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. Once or twice a month, we go out to dinner together and take turns on who’s picking the restaurant and who’s paying. This has been a staple in our schedule for the past four or so months and is something we always look forward to. It gives us a chance to catch up, have a good meal, and enjoy each other’s company. From Mexican and Italian to chain restaurants or bar food, we go everywhere and it’s such fun to see where we will end up next!

This past Friday, we had a Dinner Club meeting at Luigi’s which is an absolute must in Akron, Ohio. This was a highly anticipated outing because they were closed during our last attempt to go and we haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Luigi’s is a mom and pop style Italian restaurant and offers a huge menu of pizza, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and the like. The portions are more than generous and Tony and I barely made a dent in our pasta. Meanwhile, Johnny annihilated his meatball sub lol. We have been waiting on this meal for over a month and I think everything tasted even better because of it. Having two extra meals out of leftovers is also never a bad thing. 😀

I am so glad that Friday Night Dinner Club has become our “thing”. It’s something so simple but it hits just right every single time. I have hung out with some neighbors once or twice during my extensive tenure at Timber Top, sure. However, I have never had a neighbor like Tony that feels like a true neighbor. He has turned into family – someone who we end our meetings on with an “I love you” and that means so much to me. Johnny and I love our apartment and our Dinner Club co-captain plays a huge part in it!

Johnny is choosing the restaurant for our next meeting and he has been carefully weighing his options. Wherever it is, we are going to have the best time. We always do!

Do you do anything similar to our Dinner Club with your friends? Do you have an awesome neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

Happy Birthday, Bestie!!

Posted on August 26, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! It is a fantastic, wonderful day indeed because it is my bestie’s birthday!!! Lea and I have been best friends since freshman year of high school all the way back in 2008. For over sixteen years, we have been each other’s ride or dies. We have been through thick and thin, never have been in a fight, and got to experience so many of life’s milestones together. I truly believe we are best friend soulmates and it is a beautiful thing. This little lady brings me and everyone she meets so much joy with her bright smile, vibrant personality, and the most contagious laugh. She is one of a kind and everyone deserves to have a best friend like her in their corner.

I have so many memories with Lea that I have lost count and they all happen to be my absolute favorite. From birthday road trips, slumber parties, craft nights, or dinner out at our go to Mexican restaurant, every moment I have with her is precious. We love to reminisce about our crazy high school selves, have laugh attacks about spending evenings swiping away on Tinder when it first came out, and forever dissing ex boyfriends. Once we start talking, it’s honestly impossible to stop. Because of busy schedules, we don’t get to see each other as often as we like and our hang outs turn into hours long streams of consciousness about everything that happened since our last visit. How our ears perk up when one or the other says “the craziest thing happened”!

Whenever I think about my best girl, the first thing that pops into my head is how proud I am of her. She has overcame her own share of struggles and comes out on top each and every single time. She is brilliant at her job and is always motivated to keep improving in all aspects of her life. This inspires me to no end and whenever I need an extra boost in my day, I employ the “what would Lea do” method. The answer is, she would tell me to smile, take a breath, and tackle whatever comes up like the rock stars we both are. Even when we aren’t together, she always gives the best advice. ❤

Happy birthday to you, my darling best friend. This is our sixteenth birthday together and I can’t wait for sixteen more. I love you!!!!!

May31

Blogging Bestie Birthday Gift

Posted on May 31, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello darlings!!! This past weekend, I received the most fabulous box of birthday greetings from my blogging bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical. Kate and I became fast friends when lifewithlilred came into existence almost a decade ago and my life simply wouldn’t be the same without her. She is the absolute best friend a gal could ask for and even though we are in opposite states, I always feel like she is right next door when we are texting or FaceTiming. For my Dirty Thirty, Kate spoiled me with my favorite thing – spooky surprises from Brightside Organics! Check it out:

Kate and I are Gemini twins and our June birthdays are only six days apart. Just like me and Johnny! This is a time of year that we revel in and it is so much fun to celebrate each other together – even more than we already do every day lol. Our siren call when gifts are on the way is “you’ve got mail” and it is most exciting. Kate is one of my all time favorite people to shop for and she shares the same sentiments about me. I always know that her gifts are going to be on point for her horror loving BFF and this gift was no exception.

For my birthday, Kate treated me to all kinds of enticing products from Brightside Organics. Body butter, soaps, candles, and a bonus surprise. The skull candle doubles as a lidded glass. I was wondering why a plastic straw was included in the gift box and then it all made sense lol. I love the tombstone shaped bar soaps and they smell exactly like a crisp autumn day. The scent is called Magical Brew and is the same for the skull candle and body butter. My You A Spooky Bitch (And proud of it!) candle is of a lovely lavender and sage and it will be perfect to burn while winding down at the end of the day. I also thought it was such a cool touch that a little vial of matchsticks were included.

Because I get so much free product from Bath & Body Works, bath and body care is never on my agenda to buy for myself. And, while I like the idea of having candles in my apartment, I never replenish them once they have burned out. Regardless, Kate knows that I love stuff like this and makes it a point to make sure I get some for my big day. We both are all for the pampering route of self care and I always look forward to seeing which products she enjoys for herself that I would like by default. What can I say, her and I are insanely similar and, as per usual, this gift set knocked it out of the park!

I can’t wait to test out all of my new goodies and begin browsing for gifts for Kate’s upcoming birthday too. I am so lucky to have a BFF like her! ❤

What is your favorite thing to be gifted with? Are you and your BFF really similar to each other? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar3

Dinner At Misnyland

Posted on March 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of the coolest things that lifewithlilred has ever done for me is thanks to this OOTD rocking some MisnyMerch. That outfit helped me win a contest to attend a party at Misnyland to meet Ohio’s most famous personal injury lawyer, Tim Misny. At said party, I was able to conduct an interview with Tim, we hit it off, and the rest is history. Since then, we have created tons of content together with me as a MisnyMerch spokesmodel and it has been a dream!

While the work is neat, the best part has been making a new friend. Johnny, Tim, and I get along like three peas in a pod and it is a blast to hang out altogether. This past week, Tim treated Johnny and I to dinner at his place to show off his culinary skills and everything was divine:

Something Tim and I really bonded over was our shared love of cooking and serving meals for our family and friends. Next time we do dinner, I call dibs on helping Tim in the kitchen, but he prepared everything himself this time and I felt so spoiled. I can’t remember the last time I sat down while someone else cooked! For our meal, Tim made guacamole, breaded eggplant, tomato bisque, and baked perch for him and Johnny. I was very touched that Tim took the time to consult with me on his menu first to make sure he accommodated my vegetarianism. Everything was SO tasty and I was most impressed by the speed that Tim cooked with. This meal was ready within a half hour and that really blew my mind. Cooking is my me time so I like to draw it out lol.

Johnny and I often get asked what Tim is like in real life and I always say he’s just a guy! Then, I proceed to say that he is simply hilarious, smart as all get out, and a genuinely good person. Johnny and I rarely have the opportunity to make new friends and we enjoy our “Tim Time” so very much. When I began this post, note that I said “one” of the coolest things lifewithlilred has done for me. The top coolest thing my blog has given me is the gift of friendship with countless amazing people and, in this case, I got that too! ❤

I am so thankful to my blog and I always have a moment of “yes!” whenever I interact with anyone that it has put in my path. More Tim Misny X Lil Red collaborations are coming soon so keep your eyes peeled!

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

Jan11

BFF Holiday Hangout

Posted on January 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Friday, I had a wonderful post holiday hang out with my BFF, Lea. This was fantastic because I spent the entirety of my Christmas break sick so it was nice to have a celebration that I was up for. We hit up our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, for drinks and dinner and it was divine! We sipped on martinis (Lavender Fizz for me and Key Lime Pie for her) and had a delicious meal. I have never ate at the Cricket before and I am still thinking about their grilled cheese dippers! SO yummy. What I am swooning over the most, though, are the most amazing gifts from my bestie:

Lea and I have been best friends since high school, but the novelty of gift giving for Christmas and birthdays has yet to wear off. We both agree that we are each other’s favorite person to shop for because it’s fun lol. Whenever I hit up my preferred TJMaxx or she attends a craft fair, we are very much in tune to the prezzies that we would go wild over. Her and I know exactly what each other would like and we always end up with gifts that we would have bought for ourselves or would want to buy. It’s a beautiful thing. ❤

For Christmas, Lea gifted me with a bottle of Peach Moscato, cocktail mixes, a gorgeous pair of skeleton hand earrings, and a lounging skeleton pillow. Lea and I are peach wine girls and that is forever a staple in our gifts during exchanges. The Farm Fresh wine was very tasty and it was so nice to sip on during a weekend viewing of My 600 Lb. Life. She also got me cocktail mixes in Cherry Limeade, Citrus-Berry Sangria, and Strawberry Pineapple. I have never seen anything like these drink pouches before, but all you have to do is add wine or vodka and water and sip away. These are going to be a blast to try out!

What I am loving the most from my gifts from Lea has got to be the earrings and pillow. Lea knows that all things spooky speak to my soul so anything with skeletons is A-okay with me. In fact, I was wearing a sweater with a skull print when we were together! I cannot wait to wear my new earrings and am shocked that I don’t already own something like them. They are creepy while still being delicate in sparkling silver and will be a welcome addition to one of my next OOTDs. And, of course, how fabulous is that pillow? The lounging skeleton is perfect for… Well, lounging lol and how fun are those tassels?! It matches mine and Johnny’s emo aesthetic to the T. 🙂

Having a best friend like my Lea is the absolute best gift I could ever have and I look forward to our annual holiday hangouts every year. Our summer birthdays are still way over the horizon, but I already can’t wait to shop for my best girl! ❤

How do you and your friends celebrate the holidays? How long have you been friends with your best friend for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec16

Sweet Surprises: Lovely Ladybugs Edition

Posted on December 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Sweet Surprises: Lovely Ladybugs Edition

Hey darlings!! Tuesday was a banner day for your girl because I got Santa Mail from my sweet Kate of Live In The Nautical AND from the beautiful Carlie of Bombshell. These lovely ladies have been my blogging besties since lifewithlilred started all the way back in 2014. In this almost decade tenure of being in the blogosphere, I have had the joy of collaborating and becoming friends with Carlie and she is nothing short of a delight. She is cool, crafty, and the spooky match to my spooky soul. Carlie gifted me with the most adorable pair of earrings that I have ever seen and I just had to share them with all of you:

When I saw my package from Carlie, the vampire goddess herself, I tore it open like a rabid animal. In the packing envelope, I found a little red box and that was already perfect in and of itself. As my blog tagline goes, Life is better in red, and that applies to jewelry boxes too! After smiling to myself about Carlie’s perfect gift box choice, I opened the lid and was delighted with my findings. These delicate gold ladybug earrings are so precious and they warmed my little heart. I absolutely love ladybugs and I love them even more when they are gold and have pink rhinestones! 😀

Being a blogger is awesome because writing is my passion. What makes it the awesomest, however, is all of the wonderful people I have been able to connect with through lifewithlilred. Carlie lives in California and I would have never met her otherwise. Through my page, we became fast friends via text and FaceTime and meeting her was like meeting my blogging big sis. Every day, I am SO thankful to the blogosphere for bringing such amazing friends like Carlie and Kate into my life. And, of course, all of you too. ❤ ❤ ❤

My girl Carlie is an absolute queen and you can keep up to date with all of her fabulousness by giving her a follow on Instagram: @carliemichelle66 . Thank you for my earrings, doll – love you!!! ❤

Have you met any friends through blogging? What is something cool that your blog has done for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Sweet Surprises: Reader Friend Edition

Posted on October 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Every day, I am thankful for the beauty of blogging. Of course, I always love to write and it is a joy to express myself on my page. However, the thing that I love best about blogging is the people! I met my best friend through lifewithlilred and so many other members of the blogosphere that I feel lucky to connect with. This Tuesday, I received a beautiful card in the mail that was bought for me by the darling Leenda, the author behind The Bus To Sorry. While she was at a craft fair, she spotted a card and sticker that she thought I would like and she was so right! Check it out:

There is something about a handwritten note from a friend that just hits different. I was SO excited to open the letter from Leenda because I had no idea what it was going to be. All I knew was that it was something that she thought would match my vibe. I ripped into the envelope like a rabid beast and clutched my pearls over what I saw. Guys, I am obsessed with my note card and sticker by Freshly Squeezed Art. As soon as I got home, I immediately put the sticker on my laptop and left the note on my desk. I enjoy looking at it too much for it to go in my letter box!

These lovely little gifts match my aesthetic to the T. It amazed me that someone who only knows me from my blog and comments could pick something that I would have picked for myself. It honestly made me feel really proud of myself that I am so open on my page that it gave one of my beloved reader friends perfect insight into a prezzie I would adore. I feel incredibly touched to be thought of by Leenda and it was a wonderful reminder of why I started my blog in the first place. It was always to make new friends and I am so glad that it is having that effect. ❤

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Leenda for this Sweet Surprise. It made my week and do be sure to check out her page and give it some love!

What is something that you would pick out for me? Have you met any good friends through your blog? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

BFF Garden Party

Posted on July 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My bestie, Lea, recently moved into a beautiful new house and it is awesome! I am so proud of her and want to do everything I can to assist in the projects that she needs help with. That’s what best friends are for, after all. One of the major things that needs done on her property is the gardening. The upkeep from the previous owners had been nonexistent and it all fell on Lea’s shoulders. Luckily, I am a huge fan of gardening and couldn’t wait to get to work! 😀

This past week, Lea and I headed to Meijer’s to buy some plants, Peach White Claw, and sushi for dinner. After our surprisingly good store bought sushi, we set off to our first task of clearing the planter boxes around her porch and filling it with hostas in various colors and sizes. It turned out GREAT! Check it out:

How It Started:

How It’s Going:

Our first order of business was to give ourselves a blank canvas for the hostas. We began pulling out the weeds, rocks, and random plants that peppered the planter boxes. Everything was going swell until I noticed an ant crawling on my arm. Then, I looked down to find that my gardening gloves were covered with them. It. Was. Awful. While pulling out a bushel of dying tall grass, Lea and I discovered that I had unearthed a ginormous ant colony. It. Was. Terrifying. Lol they were literally everywhere! 😮

The Attack Of The Ants happened at the far edge of the planter box and we refused to go anywhere near it. But, we completed the opposite end and stopped about two feet shy of the scene of creepy crawlies. To start, I taught Lea about the merits of cutting the plastic container the hostas were in so we wouldn’t hurt the plant while attempting to pull it out. Then, I showed her how to break apart the roots to make it perfect for their new home. After the demo, we began working separately and she did wonderfully. With the know how to DIY, she planted the remainder herself once the ants cleared out a bit. We were both very happy with the end results. 🙂

Lea and I had a fantastic time during our Garden Party hangout and we already have our next project planned out. I can’t wait to get our hands in the dirt again and get some flowers planted soon!

What projects are you working on around the house? What is your garden like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun6

BFF Birthday Haul

Posted on June 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! It is birthaversary week for myself and my darling Johnny and it is also Gemini season, baby! Not only is this a special time of the year for me and my main squeeze, but it is also a month long celebration with my Gemini Twin and best friend in the entire world, Kate. Kate is the fantastic author of Live In The Nautical and we became fast friends almost a decade ago when lifewithlilred first began. We share almost week apart June birthdays and, although I am not very into astrology, we both definitely live up to our Gemini status!

Every year for birthdays and Christmas, Kate spoils me rotten and she truly outdid herself this year. Both of us share a passion for musicals and she hooked me up with all of the swag from one of my all time favorites – Sweeney Todd. Check it out:

This haul was more like a giftathon because every other day for the past week, I received another package in the mail from my bestie. Every time I got a call from my dad saying that another package arrived, I would rush over to my parents, who live not even five minutes away to pick it up. It was so exciting because I would text Kate immediately after opening a gift and couldn’t believe it when she told me that there was more!

I am loving my new coffee mug to add to my huge collection and the soft and comfy as can be T. The true piece de resistance, however, was the cutting board fresh from Mrs. Lovett’s Pie Shoppe. I actually really wanted a new cutting board for my birthday, which Kate didn’t know and just shows how strong our bestie telepathy is! She knows me so well. ❤

Every day since Kate and I met, I am so thankful to the blogosphere for bringing us both together in a perfect instance of cosmic fate. We basically skipped the line to best friend status and my days feel SO weird if we haven’t texted at least once! Kate is such a shiny, bright light in my life and has and always will be a complete godsend – especially during this current rough patch that I am going through. Her constant care and support never fail to make me smile no matter how bad I am feeling and I am the luckiest gal in the world to be able to call someone like her my best friend. ❤

Thank you to my BFF and Gemini Twin for the amazing gifts, love, and years of beautiful friendship. Here’s to living all year round like it is Gemini season – you know both of your favorite bloggers will be! ❤

What is your favorite musical? Have you met any friends through the blogosphere? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar25

Are You Ready To Rumble?!

Posted on March 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After years of himming and hawing, Johnny and I finally took the plunge and invested in the Peacock streaming service. We have been pretty impressed with their selection of scary movies and documentaries but, of course, the huge perk is binging The Office and Parks & Recreation for the millionth time! When we first got Peacock, we started noticing lots of commercials for wrestling events, primarily the Royal Rumble, and we became nothing short of intrigued. So much so that we invited our bestie, Cliff, over to watch it.

Within minutes of our first Royal Rumble viewing, we were hooked. We knew it was going to be a good time because we’re the three best friends that anybody could have, but we weren’t expecting this! It was the funniest, most ridiculous thing on planet Earth and watching big beefy men in Speedos trash talking is all we needed to turn us into wrestling super fans. Thanks to Peacock, we have access to over thirty years worth of Royal Rumbles and it has become our tradition to watch one almost every Saturday night.

Johnny and Cliff are my best boys and I look forward to our Saturday night dose of wrestling all week. We try to DoorDash something different every week for dinner, Cliff insists on making specialty Royal Rumble cocktails, and we settle in on the couch and have a ball. Normally, I can’t stand commercials on a streaming service but I am very grateful in this case. I don’t think we ever would have started our weekly tradition without it!

Johnny and Cliff have been hard at work creating a new podcast (It’s awesome!) and I’m always touched that they take time out of their preparations to hang out and include little old me. Before our viewing of an early Royal Rumble this past weekend, they entrusted me to take promo shots for their podcast. They turned out EXCELLENT, if I do say so myself! While I can’t tell you the name of their show, I can say that it is airplane themed, which you probably figured out due to the pilot hats. My boys insisted that I wore one too because I’m part of their team and my heart melted. ❤

Johnny and Cliff have been best friends since kindergarten and nothing has changed in almost three decades. Ever since Johnny and I started dating, I have been welcomed with open arms into their hang outs and tom foolery and it means the world. As silly as it sounds, the Royal Rumble is now very special to me because it gave us our first BFF tradition all together. Bring on the Royal Rumble tonight, baby!!

Who else is a wrestling fan? What are some traditions you have with your besties? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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