Category Archives: Fun

Dec6

The Green Dragon Inn Board Game Bar

Posted on December 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone!! This past weekend I checked out a new board game bar in Akron called The Green Dragon Inn with Johnny, my brother, and our friend Ty. I have been itching to go since I saw posts on Facebook about it because it looked so awesome – exactly like a Medieval tavern and it did not disappoint. The space itself was beautiful, our waitress was most helpful and delightful, and the game we played per her suggestion was a hoot. A wonderful time was had by all and we cannot wait to go back! Take a look at some pics and let’s get to it:

The Green Dragon Inn sits on top of the second floor of a game store called Full Grip that is run by the same people. It is such a fantastic concept because you can go shopping for new games and play them at The Inn when you are done or test it out if they have the game available in their collection. After we browsed at Full Grip for a while, we made our way to The Green Dragon and were simply blown away. It was like walking into a movie set or something! The furnishing and decor instantly transported us to times of old and I was so impressed that this amazing space was in Akron. It felt like somewhere we would go if we were on a vacation!

Before we settled in our booth, our waitress gave us a tour of The Inn. There is a huge book shelf behind the bar filled with games and a moving ladder like in Beauty and The Beast. However, that is by no means their only selection. They have over eight hundred games to pick from and you can look through their website to narrow it down based on number of players, difficulty, and type of game. We all loved the “dungeon room” with the huge chandelier but the “secret room” was the best of all. This room is expertly hidden behind a bookshelf and it was just so neat to see something like that in real life. If I had all of the money in the world, a room like that would be my first order of business in a new house. 😀

After we were done exploring The Inn, we opted for recommendations for games from our waitress. We weren’t aware of the website we could have looked at beforehand to pick games out and didn’t want to spend time scrolling through it. Our waitress knocked it out of the park with the handful of games she returned with and gave us demonstrations of each game too. We decided to play Concept thanks to her guidance and oddly enough, Johnny and I have that game at home and have never played it! Granted, we never had enough people for it and also I think we both forgot about it lol. Concept was like Pictionary in board game form and it was perfect for our group. The rules were easy to understand and it was a game we would happily play again. In fact, we plan on bringing it to play on Christmas with our families!

As soon as we entered The Green Dragon Inn, we all knew that this was a place we would be returning back to. It’s safe to say that we have never seen anything like it before and we had the best time gaming and enjoying the atmosphere that has been so beautifully created!

Do you have a similar place to The Green Dragon Inn in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite game to play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov15

Memories Of Misnyland

Posted on November 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Way back in May, Ohio’s premier personal injury/medical malpractice lawyer, Tim Misny, launched an online store called Misny Merch. I’m sure all of you are thinking “big deal”, but in my neck of the woods it actually really is lol. Anyone who lives in Ohio knows Tim Misny and he is a much beloved staple across the state thanks to his A+ billboard marketing. When the merch shop opened, there was a contest to show off your new swag for a chance to win an afternoon with Tim at his home called Misnyland. So, my dad got me some Misny Merch to rock for my birthday, I posted a Misny To The Max OOTD, and I ended up being a contest winner!

^^^ The man, the myth, the legend.

Originally, the spoils of winning the contest was a summer BBQ at Misnyland. However, it had to be rescheduled to this past weekend for a Fall Fest instead. On Friday, Johnny and I made the trip to Misnyland and I was filled with butterflies during the entire almost hour drive. I was SO nervous to meet Tim and had no idea what to expect for the party on his property. Johnny and I were blown away when we pulled into Misnyland – the estate was gigantic, of course, and it was hard to believe that we were actually attending a party there. It was even harder to believe that we were personally welcomed by Tim as soon as we arrived!

During the party, Johnny and I met some fabulous new friends who we spent the afternoon with. We took a golf cart tour of Misnyland, had lunch, and mingled with the other contest winners and Tim himself. It was such a surreal afternoon, but it gets so much better. As the party was dying down, I asked Tim for some pictures as well as if he had time for a quick Q&A. He agreed, we went into his hunting lodge, and I ended up interviewing him for about thirty minutes. I think we could have talked all day if he didn’t have to bid farewell to the other guests! It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and it was easily the best thing my blog has ever done for me. I’m so glad I worked up the nerve to even ask him because that was a coin toss in my head the whole afternoon. 😀

There is SO much more to come from my time spent at Misnyland. Keep it locked for a brand new OOTD, bloopers, another OOTD with some new Misny Merch, and snippets from our interview. You don’t want to miss it!!

Who is a local celebrity in your neck of the woods? Have you ever won a contest before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Remember that proceeds from every Misny Merch purchase benefits the Cleveland City Mission! ❤

Sep18

Scary Fun Fall Activities

Posted on September 18, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Fall is the happiest time of the year for me and Johnny. The weather suits our vampire selves beautifully and autumn is when we finally emerge outdoors after a hot summer. We do not do well in the heat whatsoever and it’s so nice to be able to comfortably step out and do ALL of the fall activities together! Below are some of the things that we definitely plan on doing the next few months as well as some ideas for more fall fun. Check it out:

Hikes:

There are countless gorgeous Metro Parks in Ohio and Johnny and I live by a ton of them. Within a ten mile radius of our apartment are at least ten different ones that I can think of off the top of my head! During the week, we are hoping to fit in one or two hikes after work on the days that I get home early. It is such a joy to take a stroll through the woods during a crisp day and admire the changing leaves! Maybe we’ll even try to complete the annual Fall Hiking Spree this year, which is something we always talk about but never do lol.

Drive-In Movies:

I have only been to a drive-in movie once in my life and it freaking sucked! It was a rainy day, the car was cramped, and I was beyond over it. Johnny, on the other hand, loves a good drive-in and we plan on hitting up the one we live somewhat close to in October. The drive-in will be hosting scary movie marathons with old school horror flicks, slashers, and campy classics. It sounds like a hoot and will be a nice change of pace from our at home scary movie viewings.

Scavenger Hunts:

I think it would be so much fun to have a Halloween scavenger hunt with our friends and I would love to organize one. Perhaps a walk or drive through neighborhoods scouring Halloween decor to cross off our list? Or even visiting one of the numerous Spirit Halloweens in our area building a goofy costume on a budget. We could end the hunt making our own concoctions of spooky themed cocktails OR apple cider mimosas which I am dying to try. They sound delish! 😀

Pumpkin Partay:

One thing that Johnny and I haven’t done together is carve pumpkins and that feels like a must this year. I would love to take an afternoon trip to a pumpkin patch, pick out the perfect carving pumpkins, and make some masterpieces. Granted, no one could really see them from our balcony but we can and that’s all that matters. Here’s to me not injuring myself because this will be my first go at jack-o-lanterns – we’ll see what happens haha.

Bonfires:

This past Christmas, I got my dad a fire pit and Johnny and I can’t wait to use it this fall! We even have the kits to make the fire different colors, which will be super neat. Last year, Johnny and I had a blast passing out candy during Trick-or-Treat and we plan on creating a spooky setup with the fire pit, Halloween music, and of course dressing up too. I am SO excited to go costume shopping, although I don’t know how I’ll beat dressing up as Johnny last year!

Johnny and I are ready to live our best lives this fall and how can we not with so many Scary Fun Activities on our agenda?! Fall fun, here we come!

What is your favorite fall activity? What are you going to be for Halloween this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug27

A Trip To The County Fair Pt. 2

Posted on August 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Johnny and I attended the Portage County Randolph Fair this past Tuesday and it was a hoot. It was my very first county fair and I am so glad that I got to experience it with my main squeeze! What made this date night even cooler was that Johnny and his parents would attend this particular fair every year in his youth. He was very pleased to see that the Grampa Cratchet Puppet Show was still going strong all of these years later!! Check out some pics from our outing and let’s discuss:

^^^ The sculptures in the last two pictures are made entirely out of tires!!

There was so much to do and see at the county fair and I was fine with letting Johnny lead the way – this was not his first rodeo! We began our evening by hitching a ride on a tractor from the parking lot to the fairgrounds. Once we were there, we were surrounded by animals everywhere! From cows and pigs to goats, horses, and adorable baby chicks there was livestock for days. I was really disappointed that all of the bunnies went home for the day, but Johnny told me I couldn’t bring Mel and P home a brother or sister so I guess it was for the best lol.

After we visited all of the animals, we were ready to get some food and I couldn’t wait. However, looking back now – I wish I did! As we made our way through tons of vendor booths, we finally saw lemonade and food stands. Having never been to a county fair before, I assumed that what we saw was it. So, we stocked up on fresh squeezed lemonade, a burger for Johnny, nachos, and fries and went to the seating area for the Grampa Cratchet Puppet Show to eat. After we were done, you could have knocked me over with a feather when we turned the corner from the stands we got food from and I saw an endless array of more food! This is why we are going to Oktoberfest in Cuyahoga Falls next month to get everything we missed out on at the fair.

The puppet show was, admittedly, very weird haha. It was like the children’s version of Crank Yankers if anyone remembers that show? It was basically just a bunch of puppets doing silly things and teaching valuable lessons like following instructions, which was what our show was about. It was pretty funny, but Johnny and I were ready to go after five minutes. I’m just really glad we got to see some of it because I was like “wtf?” when Johnny first told me about it and my sentiments remain the same!

The main event of the night was a demolition derby and we still had time to kill before we took our seats in the stands. We weren’t interested in any of the rides, but I had never played a carnival game before so we did that next. Johnny gave us a twenty dollar limit to play with and I already knew exactly what I wanted to win – a stuffed corndog that I saw a little boy carrying earlier. We found a game that had the plushie as a prize and I am proud to say that we DOMINATED!! We had to shoot a water gun at a target to fill up a balloon and make it pop. Thanks to our dates to the shooting range, we were a force to be reckoned with and I was so happy to claim my corndog. 😀

^^^ It’s so cute!

Our final stop of the night was at the demolition derby and we were crunched for time. At this point, it was going on seven thirty and we still had to make a thirty-five minute drive home. We were expecting for the derby to start with the big cars right from the jump and that wasn’t the case. The derby opened with the pee-wee league of five or so year olds in their souped up Barbie jeeps and Hot Wheels trucks. It was so cute lol. We stuck around for a bit longer until it was safe to say that the kiddos were not going to get out of the gridlock they created. Our other future plan is to find another demolition derby to attend when we don’t have to get up for work the next morning!

Our Trip To The County Fair ended perfectly because we arrived at the entrance just in time to catch a tractor back to our parking spot. We had an absolute blast! Tune in tomorrow for my OOTD and *gasp* seeing me in blue jeans for the first time! 😮

What is your favorite attraction at the fair? What is your favorite carnival game to play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

A Trip To The County Fair

Posted on August 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! One of my little quirks that Johnny has never wrapped his head around is that I have never been to a county fair. In my defense, it makes the utmost sense. My parents didn’t trust the carnival rides and we have lots of strict vegetarians in my family so we avoided the buying and selling of livestock. This was so normal to me that I didn’t really realize everyone else has been to a county fair! So, when Johnny found out that the fair he attended in his youth was going on this past week, we had to go. Even if it was on a work night!

^^^ Yes, Johnny did wear that shirt during our wedding!

Once I returned from work on Tuesday, it was off to the Portage County Randolph Fair. Johnny ordered our tickets ahead of time as well as tickets to a demolition derby (Which is an event I have also never attended!). I had a hunch of what the fair would be like from Johnny’s musings and it was exactly what I expected. Lol, there were animals, more than enough food to feed a small country, games, and rides. Between all of the sights, smells, and people it was total sensory overload for the first ten or so minutes!

I will be discussing more of what we did at the fair along with lots of pictures tomorrow. You can also peep my OOTD and bloopers coming up soon too! What I will say in this post, is that I love all of the new experiences that Johnny and I have together. From going to the shooting range to attending a county fair, it is always something exciting when we go on a date. When we went to the fair, everything was new. I played my first carnival game, ate my first fair food, and was in a situation I never thought I would be in. And it was fun! 😀

Our outing to the Portage County Randolph Fair was a novelty in so many ways, but mainly it was SO different being out on a work night! I truly can’t remember the last time we did something during the week day – it was definitely before we started living together. Even though we were dead tired the following day, it was beyond worth it. The county fair might not be my favorite place in the world, but I was there with my favorite guy and that made it the best. ❤

Because I have never been to an Oktoberfest, that is next on our agenda and we have a grand plan. Do a drop in, get food, and go home lol. Here’s to brand new experiences and be sure to tune in for more on the county fair!

Have you ever attended a county fair before? What was your favorite/least favorite thing about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Willie Nelson Chia Pet Epic Fail

Posted on August 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I are huge Willie Nelson fans and this past Christmas, his mom and dad gifted us with our very own Willie Nelson Chia Pet. After watching the Red Headed Stranger (Which was freaking AWESOME!) this past Saturday, we decided to finally bring our Chia Pet to life. I don’t know why we waited so long to do it, but it just felt right after watching a Willie Nelson movie. I guess we should have waited longer, though, because it was a failure of epic proportions. Check it out:

^^^ Lol at the picture of Willie in the water because you can see Johnny’s reflection in it and it cracks me up!!

The directions for our Chia Pet were very straight forward: Soak the clay for a half hour, put the seeds on, water it, and done. We filled up my spaghetti pot with water and let Willie Nelson soak while we played Diablo IV and, of course, listened to Willie Nelson. Once the clay was prepped, all that was left to do was apply the seeds. But, this is when things went so horribly wrong. I guess we didn’t realize that you should “plant” the seeds using your hands and not just dumping it on top! *Face palm*

So, Chia seeds went everywhere after Johnny so helpfully poured them all out and we were left scrambling to put them back onto the clay. It was an absolute mess and Chia Pet definitely didn’t cover this uh-oh in their commercials! Once we did our due diligence of cleaning up the scattered seeds, we both decided that Chia Pets suck. But that’s okay! We scraped the seeds off of Willie Nelson and now we have a great piece for our knick knack shelf! In fact, we both like it better that way so who’s the real winner in this situation?

Our Chia Pet experience was a total bust, but now we have a bust of Willie Nelson! Maybe Johnny was onto something with his faux pas all along?! 😀

Have you ever grew a Chia Pet? Do you currently have the commercial stuck in your head? (I do!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul28

Patrick Durham Meet & Greet

Posted on July 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! The Lego Brick Convention that I attended this past weekend was so great! The displays and shopping with the vendors was fun, but the highlight of the day was meeting a former Lego Masters contestant. Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies in season three was the piece de resistance of the convention and we couldn’t wait to see him. Johnny and I got a huge kick out of him and his partner, Kerry, during the show and I was on pins and needles to meet a Lego celebrity. Check it out:

After Johnny, my brother, and I made our rounds throughout the first section of the convention, we approached a very long line. We all assumed it was the line to meet Patrick, but it turns out it was formed to get a closer look at the displays. So, we bypassed it completely and went on the prowl to meet the Lego Master. And, we were in luck!! Patrick was literally just standing at his area beyond the line and we only had to wait briefly for our turn at a meet and greet.

Saying Patrick was the nicest person ever is the understatement of the century. He greeted my crew and all of his other fans with such warmth and good humor – it felt like having a chat with your own grandpappy. After exchanging pleasantries and quips, we asked about Kerry and learned sad news. He had passed away from heart complications on June 11th. This was such a disappointing thing to hear and we extended our deepest sympathies. Not only were Patrick and Kerry beloved grandpappies to their own grandchildren, but they were America’s grandpappies too.

We got to spend almost ten minutes with Patrick and after he signed my autograph, we had a photo shoot! Johnny snapped lots of pics and Patrick was SERVING. At one point, he assured Johnny that he wasn’t flirting with me and I let it be known that I was most definitely flirting with him! Lol, we all had a laugh. We were also so flattered when he told me and Johnny we were the coolest looking people he had seen that day. What a guy!

Spending time with Patrick Durham at the Brick Convention was one of my favorite things I have done this year. It was just really cool and it’s always awesome to meet someone on TV and finding out they are exactly how they appear on screen in person. Thanks for the laughs and your time, Patrick. Long live Team Grandpappies! ❤

Have you ever met a celebrity? Who were some of your favorite Lego Master contestants? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Brick Convention 2023

Posted on July 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I had a fantastic weekend! On Friday, Johnny and I went to the shooting range and on Saturday, we attended the Brick Convention with my brother. The Brick Convention was an ode to all things Lego and it was an absolute blast! Johnny and I are avid fans of Lego and this event did not disappoint. There were displays, vendors, and even a contestant from Lego Masters. The only not great thing was that the building the convention was held in wasn’t air conditioned. It was hot as bejeezus and even though we had a lot of fun, we were ready to get the hell out of there lol.

Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the awesome displays from the convention. Keep it posted this week for more because we have an OOTD, my convention haul, and meeting Patrick Durham! Let’s get started:

Talk about WOW, right?! Walking through the Brick Convention was like being a kid on Christmas day. It was Lego as far as the eye could see and it was incredible to take it all in. While it was nice to shop around with the many different vendors, the most fun was looking at all of the displays created by such amazing artists. Every single piece begged the question of “how did they do that?!”. Johnny and I love to build Lego sets together and sometimes I have difficulty with that let alone free building masterpieces. It was like being in our own personal episode of Lego Masters!

It was hard to get a close look at some of the builds because the convention center was very crowded. It was basically get in front of the build, snap a picture if you want, and move on. While all of the creations were excellent, I was extremely partial to the art gallery that was set up. There were Lego pictures of Mario and Luigi that moved, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, The Child, and of course the Lego rendition of the Creation of Adam. That was my favorite and my mind is still blown by it. Seriously, how did they do that?!

Despite the fact that we were sweating bullets the entire Brick Convention, I am so happy to have gone. I have never been to an event like that before and it was an experience I’ll always remember. Tune in tomorrow for more about my meeting with the one and only Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies!!!

Do you like to build Lego? Have you ever been to a similar event before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

Date On The Range

Posted on July 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are still going strong with our weekend date nights and we had a literal blast this past Friday. We went to the shooting range with our downstairs neighbor and it was a hoot! Going to the shooting range is something that Johnny and I have always wanted to do together and just never did. He grew up shooting guns with his dad and I have only been to the range once in my life. We are also avid fans of the short lived competitive shooting show, Top Shot, and wanted to feel like our favorite contestants!

After finding out that our new-ish neighbor and new bestie liked to go to the range when he could, we decided to make an evening of it. We hit up Range USA in Canton, then returned back to my apartment where I cooked dinner. It was such a fun and different night out and you just can’t beat the “Friday date night” promo that Range USA runs. It’s buy one lane get one free! Check it out:

Before I went to the shooting range for the first time, I never saw the appeal of guns. After firing off a few rounds, however, I understood it and it was something that I wanted to do again. If you are in a safe and secure setting, why not? And, I hate to brag, but I did really good that first time and was eager to see if I still retained anything I learned from the pro at the range who taught me!

Once our waivers were signed, targets were purchased, and our safety gear was on, we were ready to go to our lanes. The target selection at Range USA was excellent and Johnny and I chose the shooting gallery one. Yes, because it was delightfully reminiscent of Top Shot challenges lol. Every gun I shot was a new experience and it was really cool – even though the rifle kicked like a mule. I was definitely done after four rounds and Johnny had a sore shoulder the next day.

I was really impressed with Johnny’s performance and mine wasn’t so bad, either! Johnny did so well and hit several bullseyes which was awesome to see. I was a bit disappointed with how I did, but then I remembered that this was only my second time shooting with entirely different guns. When I thought about it that way, I was proud of how I did. While I had lots of shots that weren’t on target whatsoever, I had a lot that were and felt great about them!

We had such a good time at the range that we are going to make it a thing. Every other week, we plan on hitting the range and making use of the date night special. We have even recruited two of our other friends to join our club and, of course, have dinner at my place after. Our Date On The Range was the most unique one we have been on yet and we are still chattering away about the good time that was had by all. 😀

Next weekend, it is my turn to select our date and I can’t wait for it. We are going to go shopping at some adorable boutiques in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and get Olive Garden for dinner. Long live Middle Class Fancy!!

What is your favorite competition show? What is the most unique date you have been on? 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

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