Category Archives: Friends

Jun13

Happy Birthday, Best Friend!!

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Happy Birthday, Best Friend!!

Hello everyone!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my beautiful best friend, Kate’s, birthday!! Gemini season is in full swing and we are the stars!! This is our happy time and we spend the entire month celebrating and hyping each other up more than we already do on a regular basis. I met the esteemed, talented, gorgeous author of Live In The Nautical very shortly after lifewithlilred was conceived and when her page was still called Ankhor You. I will not age ourselves by saying how many years that has been but it has been a minute. Even if we both just turned twenty-one this year!

Kate is someone who I connect with on every single level and it was evident the first time we spoke. Seriously, one day we just started talking and we never stopped lol. That’s truly a magical thing to experience for two gals who live several states away from each other and I am thankful for it every day. And, yes, I actually do send out a special “thank you” into the ether every day because I am the luckiest girl in the world to have her as my A1, ride or die BFF. I always say that my blog has done so much good for me, but providing me with a best friend is the best thing it has or will ever do.

Imagine the most purest form of sunshine, sea breeze, and fairy dust in a bottle and you have Kate. She is the girl everyone wants to be friends with and her radiant smile and darling laugh are simply intoxicating. And, the beauty of Kate is that she makes everyone feel like her friend. She loves so deeply and pours kindness and care into everything she says and does. Kate is a giver and spreads joy liberally to her beloved family, friends, and any and everyone she encounters – myself especially!

Being besties with Kate is one of my greatest joys and I don’t even entertain the notion of what my life would be like without her. Since day one, she is the person who I want to talk to first on good days and bad. She’s the one to laugh with, dish on celebrity gossip with, and play detective with whenever we watch true crime documentaries. It is so special to share June with my Gemini Twin and I cannot wait for another year of text message novels and hours on end FaceTime dates with my best girl. ❤

To my other half and best friend:

Happy Birthday!!! I love you so!!!!

May31

BFF Birthday Haul

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BFF Birthday Haul

Hello!!! The best thing that lifewithlilred has ever done is, easily, connecting me with my best friend in the world, Kate, of Live In The Nautical. One day, we just started talking and I swear we haven’t stopped since! Despite living in two different states, Kate might as well be right next door to me. We are always texting and I live for our FaceTime dates that turn into hours on end discussions. She is such a bright light in my life – my blogging bestie, my Gemini twin, and a true gift to everyone who is lucky enough to know her. Regardless of where we’re located, we are joined at the hip and that is never going to change. ❤

When I got to work at chez parents this past Tuesday, I was greeted by a goodie box waiting for me on the kitchen table. Then, when I returned after a little shift, I saw more packages that were delivered while I was gone. The contents were none other than an amazing haul from my BFF and she spoiled me rotten this year! Check it out:

Getting gifts from Kate is a straight up “But wait – there’s more!” experience. The first prezzie I opened was the adorable travel cup boasting the fact that I am, indeed, in my Bunny Mom Era!! I just love the funky 70s print and that it is even customized with the names of my sweet buns, Melvin and Penelope. I know that I will be sipping Diet Coke on ice from this perfect sized cup all summer long. I also know that my niece is going to love using this when she visits at my apartment because she forever insists on having a straw to drink from lol. AND I also ALSO know that my bunnies appreciate being thought of too because they are always running around whenever Kate and I FaceTime so they know who their aunt is!

The next gift I tore into was a tiny jewelry box from a brand called Sirius Woods. I clutched my pearls when I saw the gorgeous carved skull earrings nestled inside! As a spooky gal, I love literally anything with skulls on it. However, these are so sentimental because they look exactly like my engagement ring!! My beloved engagement ring features a huge pearl carved into a skull and these earrings make my bling feel like a completed set. They are beautifully crafted and delicate and I couldn’t imagine how Kate was going to top herself on the remaining present. Of course, she totally did!

The final package to tear open was the piece de resistance: A page of music from her, mine, and Johnny’s very special show called Hadestown. Kate introduced me to this astounding musical and Johnny and I were able to see it when it toured at Playhouse Square. We went to Hadestown during one of the worst times of my life and it was one of the few happy moments in literal months of agony. The show transported us and the music moved me so deeply. In fact, the framed song Kate gave me makes me cry every time and that is no exaggeration. Just ask my husband! Trust and believe, tears were shed when this gift revealed itself but, for once, they were the happy kind. Tears of joy to be soul sisters with someone who knows me so well, bonds with me on every level, and provides me with the sunshine of her spirit every day. It was like opening up a hug and I am still blown away. ❤

Since day one, being best friends with Kate has made my life better. And, as much as I treasure all of the treasures she gave me, she will always be my greatest gift! ❤

How did you and your best friend meet? Have you made any friends through your blog or social media? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May19

Be That Neighbor

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Be That Neighbor

Hello!! Johnny and I were absolutely addicted to the show Fear Thy Neighbor and quickly finished the entire series with daily viewings after work and marathons over the weekends. As you can imagine if you haven’t watched the show, it is all about the worst neighbors ever lol. Our running joke as we watched the series was “What are we going to do, get mad at Tony?!”. Tony is our downstairs neighbor and he is the absolute best so every time we watched Fear Thy Neighbor, it was an exercise in “can’t relate” for which we are so thankful!

Tony, Johnny, and I became fast friends when Tony moved in and we would chat away every time our paths crossed when he was out for a smoke. This turned into Dinner Club get togethers, watching movies, going to the shooting range, and just having fun. And, of course, we always come running every time Tony might need a quick favor around the apartment. I’m going to be perfectly honest, our neighbors in our old apartment were not the best. Some were insanely loud and another was feeding the raccoons outside of her apartment door lol. So, when Tony moved in not doing any of that and being someone we actually wanted to hang out with, it was nothing short of a gift.

The other day as we were eating a baked potato dinner and watching an episode of SVU, Johnny got a call from Tony. It was nothing urgent, just asking if he could change the battery in his smoke detector as he wasn’t comfortable going up on the ladder. In a heartbeat, Johnny put down his meal and ran downstairs. In the handful of minutes while Johnny completed the task at hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky and proud I am. Lucky to have Tony and proud to be those neighbors. And not in the Fear Thy Neighbor way but in the best way possible!

Having a neighbor that we truly consider to be a best friend is something we have never experienced and it feels so good. I love that we are the people that Tony calls when he needs a helping hand and having regular hang outs together. The feeling is mutual across the board and that is a beautiful thing. The moral of the story? Be that neighbor!! Be the neighbor who fixes an extra plate at dinner. Be the neighbor who offers to take the trash out or shovel the walkway. Be the neighbor who is never too busy for a chat. It will do both parties a world of good and the relationship with our beloved neighbor is a testament to that. ❤

Johnny and I love our apartment so much and Tony is part of the reason why. I am so happy to have and be a good neighbor and the smoke detector story was a wonderful reminder!

Do you have a great neighbor? Have you ever had an awful neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

Friday Night Dinner Club

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Friday Night Dinner Club

Hello!! Johnny and I are incredibly lucky – close to three years ago, we moved into a bigger apartment and it is still nothing short of a gift. Of course, the extra space is nice but one of the best things is, easily, our neighbor. Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, has been a staple in our lives since he moved in shortly after we did. We quickly bonded after our numerous chats while he was outside smoking and these chats turned into full fledged hangouts. We love going to the shooting range, playing pool, and my personal favorite – Friday Night Dinner Club.

Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. One Friday per month, we will go out to eat together and take turns on picking where to eat and picking up the tab. We have hit up all of our favorite spots together and tried new restaurants too and it is always a blast. With the unpredictable winter and early spring weather, our Dinner Club meetings have taken place in Tony’s apartment. I will cook or we will order takeout and watch a movie for our entertainment. We had our March meeting this past Friday and it was a raging success:

For Dinner Club, I decided to cook us a huge dish of baked ziti, garlic bread, and salad. Then, we made the short trek downstairs to our co-founder’s digs to eat, drink, and be merry. Our original plan was to rent the newest Jason Statham vehicle, A Working Man. Unfortunately, that plan was foiled because it isn’t available yet. That was no matter because we watched another Jason Statham vehicle, instead. One of all of our personal favorites – The Beekeeper. We have watched The Beekeeper several times together during Dinner Club and it hits every time. Johnny, Tony, and I will spend the entire duration quoting the movie, hollering, and laughing whenever I react to a particularly “ouch” moment. We live for action and horror movies and this one takes the cake!

Even though Johnny and I have lived in our apartment community for upwards of five years, we have never had a neighbor like Tony. It is so special to have a friend literally right downstairs and it makes all of our lives so much better. I love having a neighbor that I can fix an extra plate for, shoot the breeze with, and shoot – have an entire club based around our friendship. A club that is deserving of jackets at some point in the future because we have definitely discussed it extensively lol. 😀

I cannot wait for our next Dinner Club meeting with the improved weather! Me and my favorite guys will be stepping out on the town and we are all already looking forward to it!

Do you have an amazing neighbor? Do you have any “clubs” with your friends? 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

Dec17

Best Blanket EVER!!

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Best Blanket EVER!!

Howdy!! Every weekend, I have been diligently wrapping away at my cache of Christmas prezzies. I also got the very last gift I needed on my shopping list this past week at Elysian Nails. GREAT SUCCESS! On Sunday, I decided to finish my gift wrapping in its entirety and it was so nice to get some floor space back in my office once all of the packages had been opened! To my surprise, one of the boxes I opened contained something I didn’t remember ordering for myself at all. I questioned if I did some drunk Amazon shopping, but then I realized it was a Christmas gift from my A1 blogging bestie – Kate from Live In The Nautical. Check it out:

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One thing about Kate and I is that we are massive freeze babies lol. We are both literally always cold and Kate loves to cocoon in her heated blanket. Wrapping up in a warm hug of a blanket is something that is most appealing to me, but it’s something I would never buy for myself. So, Kate took matters into her own hands and I have an inkling that she has known exactly what to spoil me with for Xmas since this October. We had a massive drop in temperatures in Ohio and my apartment complex didn’t turn the heat on so Johnny and I were basically living in an ice box for a week. Kate is the most spectacular gift giver because she is constantly taking mental notes of situations like this and provides a remedy for it. ❤

My heated blanket was actually the last package I opened before it was a wrap on wrapping presents. As soon as I saw it, I ripped the box the blanket came in open and was ready to reward myself with a day of becoming one with my couch after a successful holiday shopping season. And become one with my couch, I did. From the comfort of my new heated blanket, I had a Degrassi marathon and vegged TF out. I live for a good Degrassi binge sesh and it was further enhanced by this Bwarm blanket because it is the freaking BEST. It is SO soft, SO comfortable, and has six different heat settings so you can adjust the temps as needed. I opted for a healthy “four” and it literally felt like I was wrapped up in all the comforters on my bed. It was also so soothing on my arms and back which tend to get a bit achy from never ending work on the computer. 12/10 Highly recommend!

Huge shout out to my main boo for this top tier present!! I have a feeling I am going to be living in this blanket as soon as I get home from work every day!

What is your favorite item that brings you comfort? Are you always hot or always cold? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov28

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! Today is one of my favorite days of the year and I am so looking forward to celebrating with mine and Johnny’s family. I am sure that all of you have grand plans for the day so I don’t want to take up too much of your time! But what kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t give an extra special holiday shout out to my dear readers? You already know I am infinitely thankful for all of you!!

lifewithlilred has been going strong for a decade and change and I still have a really hard time believing that. During this extensive tenure, you have been with me for every update, accomplishment, disappointment, and life changes and I think that is really cool. In fact, it’s what motivates me to keep up with daily content because I know that you are out there, somewhere reading it. My blog is just as much mine as it is yours and my biggest hope is that people smile when they stumble upon my corner of the internet.

The blogosphere is a beautiful thing and it has the power to bring people together. My blog gifted me with my best friend in the world and has brought people into my life that I would have never known otherwise. I was extremely lonely when I started lifewithlilred and the blogging community really helped remedy that. From Akron, Ohio, I am able to say that I have friends all over the world and my gratefulness for that knows no bounds.

Thank you to all of you for being my friend. Thank you to all of you for stopping by my page and being with me. Happy Thanksgiving to all! ❤

Sep3

Friday Night Dinner Club

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Friday Night Dinner Club

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!!

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Happy Birthday, Bestie!!

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.

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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

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Blogging Bestie Birthday Gift

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:

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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