Oct25

Flannels For Fall OOTD

Posted on October 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After the excitement of seeing The Wiz last last weekend, Johnny and I spent a lazy weekend together and it was just what we needed. I feel so much more rested after a few days of vegging out! With nothing on our agenda other than hanging out with family, I decided to style a look that was cool but oh so comfy with my new Lucky Brand flannel. I love how it turned out and it was warm enough to beat the fall chill in the air! Check it out and peep all of those Lil Red leaves:

Who? What? Wear?

Flannel: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21

Cigarette Earrings: Punk N Junk

The hat was a gift from an ex’s family and I like it too much to throw it out lol

Flannels are such an amazing piece of clothing because they look good on everyone and are a staple that is synonymous with fall. As soon as the weather turns cool, it’s all flannels everywhere and I’m so not mad about it. So much so, that I bought the flannel you see above due to a mere accident. During my last TJs shopping trip, I needed a shirt to try on with a jacket, grabbed the first one I saw, and it just so happened to be said flannel. I wouldn’t have got it if it weren’t so darn cute but, obviously, that wasn’t the case!

I was excited to style this flannel and thought it would be fun to create a black and white ensemble to play off of its pattern. With this in mind, black skinny jeans were the go to choice and also my only choice anyways lol. I don’t own one single pair of blue jeans! While I enjoy wearing all of the beautiful jewel tones of fall, it felt nice to go back to my emo roots with the muted palette I was establishing. As soon as the base of this look was settled, I could definitely picture my teenage self rocking it haha.

Shoes and accessories were next and since this outfit essentially built itself, this was an easy decision. I knew I wanted to wear my “Bad Hair Day” beanie and went with my stark white heeled combat boots from Forever 21. I liked this for several reasons. Of course, it worked with the color palette. However, I loved how the hat and boots were the reverse of each other. The hat was black with white text and the shoes were white with black laces and heels. This really tied the look together and made it flow seamlessly from top to bottom.

Finally, it was jewelry time. I kept things minimal for jewelry because I didn’t want unnecessary bling muddling up the crispness of the outfit’s palette. I toyed around with a collar length necklace, but it wasn’t doing anything for me. So, I decided to wear a pair of statement earrings with a lot of length. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure earrings that look like cigarettes definitely make a statement! 😀

As always, fall is my favorite season to dress for and I am loving my Flannels For Fall OOTD. This look gave a nod to so many different autumn essentials and is one that I will most certainly be wearing again!

What is your favorite fall staple? What warms you up on a chilly day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

A Night At The Theater OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Night At The Theater OOTD! Yesterday, you saw the look I created for an evening at Playhouse Square to see The Wiz. The show was absolutely wonderful, but the picture taking experience? Yeah… Not so much. Yesterday, I told you to stay tuned to find out why the amount of OOTD pictures was severely lacking and that is what we’re going to discuss today. Not until we look at these blurry yikes shots, of course! Let’s get to it:

Closing my eyes to block out the haters

This picture cracks me up because I literally blend into the wall and rug lol

I LOOK BLURRY!!! I MEAN… GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉

My hands were clearly moving faster than the speed of light

This is such a “duhhh” face lol

Drawing everyone in with my seductive gaze

Normally when Johnny and I go to a Playhouse Square show, we make a whole event of it. We’ll go out to dinner, get a drink at our favorite bar in the area, then head to the main attraction. Having this time out before we’re even at the theater gives the perfect opportunity to take pictures away from a huge crowd. And, of course, it’s so much fun! Seeing The Wiz, however, was different because Johnny and I felt like taking it easy for the day and going straight to the show.

This was totally fine with me because we were both wiped out from a long work week. However, I had forgotten how difficult it is to take pictures at Playhouse Square! It basically sucks. We arrived at the theater with about forty-five minutes to spare to hit up the bathroom, take pictures, and get drinks. Had I planned better, we would have taken pictures at any old place beforehand. But, alas, I didn’t and it was a mad dash because everyone was arriving at the theater when we were.

Taking pictures at Playhouse Square is a delicate dance. You have to stake out a spot and pray that you have thirty or so seconds without anyone walking by. Much easier said than done! Not only is it hard to take the pictures to begin with, but they never turn out good anyways. The lighting outside of the Connor Palace is so low and yellowy and it isn’t what is needed for a quality shot. Not to mention that every single picture turns out blurry AF and I’m not sure why. I was lucky to get three pics that I was somewhat happy with!

Next time Johnny and I don’t have a pre-date before the actual date of seeing a show, I know better than to think we will be able to take pictures at the theater. This was a massive, epic failure for OOTD shots. A huge win for bloopers, though! 😀

Where is your favorite place to take pictures? How early do you arrive for an event you are attending? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

A Night At The Theater OOTD

Posted on October 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Last weekend, Johnny and I enjoyed a fantastic evening at Playhouse Square where we saw The Wiz. Like TJMaxx, Playhouse Square is my happy place. I love attending the excellent plays and musicals that are put on and, of course, I love the fashion. Getting dressed to the nines for A Night At The Theater brings me great joy and it is such fun to see other people’s interpretation of a night out look. This is mine:

^^^ Wondering why there are so few pictures? Find out during the blooper reel tomorrow!

Who? What? Wear?

Topper Jacket: Happily Grey, TJMaxx

Sweater Dress: Forever 21

Lace Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Snakeskin Pattern Boots: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

The necklace was my grandma’s ❤

A few days before attending The Wiz, I purchased my new Happily Grey topper jacket from TJMaxx and I knew that I wanted to wear it to the show. Playhouse Square is the fanciest place that Johnny and I go to and the topper jacket screams luxury to me, making it a perfect choice. The look that I styled for our date night is actually what I pictured in my head when I first tried the jacket on. I am pleased to report that it turned out exactly how I envisioned and I felt like the belle of the ball!

To start, I put on my burnt orange sweater dress from Forever 21. This dress is literally old as dirt, but I wasn’t concerned about it because I kept my jacket on all night. It was also a strategic decision to wear it. The color was just what I needed for the rich fall palette I was establishing and most importantly, it had length. While the jacket would have been fine over jeans and a top, I wanted something more than that. The sweater dress was high low, hitting at the bottom of my knees and down to my ankles and it gave the peek a boo pop I pictured underneath the jacket. (It is worth mentioning that for the sake of being warm, I did wear jeans under the dress. It was freaking freezing the night of the show! This dress was also quite low cut, but that is nothing a lace trimmed cami top can’t fix.)

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories and I had just the pair in mind. For shoes, I selected my gorgeous pair of cobalt blue snakeskin pattern heeled boots by Marc Fisher. I am so enamored with them! I love the more burnished hues of fall like the gold in the jacket and orange of the dress. However, I wanted to perk things up by adding in a jewel tone and these boots gave me that opportunity. Their length was also ideal because they hit right where the “high” portion of the sweater dress ended. This allowed for the jeans I had on to be fully covered and kept the outfit moving seamlessly from piece to piece.

Finally, it was time to wrap things up with accessories. Because a more delicate pair of earrings would have gotten lost amidst the faux fur jacket collar, I went bold with a huge pair of gold hoop earrings. These babies by Argentino Vivo are my favorite! I thought that the earrings would be enough, but the outfit felt like it was missing something. To fill the open real estate on my neck, I chose a beautiful necklace from my grandma of forest green. It tied the outfit together perfectly and added another color to my All Fall Everything palette.

I felt like a star in this OOTD and it’s always nice when an outfit I dreamed up turns out the way I wanted without making any tweaks. Johnny and I had a fabulous Night At The Theater and here’s to many more!

What is the fanciest place that you go to? Do you go to the theater often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on October 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I went with the intention of finishing up my in store Christmas shopping and I am pleased to say that I did. The last thing that I want is to be in a crowded store, browsing through a picked over selection as the holiday season gets closer! Of course, I couldn’t say no to a few treats for myself either and I’m amazed I made it this long into my early shopping without purchasing a gift for myself too lol! While I was at TJs, I decided to restock the skin care items I needed to get me through the rest of the year. Now, I really don’t need to be in a store until 2024. 😀 Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

Thanks to previous Skin Care Hauls from TJs, my beauty care hoard was still fairly well stocked. However, it wasn’t good enough to bring me into the new year and that was the goal. The first order of business was more of my beloved micellar water by Evoluderm. I am halfway through my last bottle in the stock pile and that simply won’t do! There have been several products that I have gotten from TJs that I have loved and never seen in stock again. Thankfully, that is never the case with my micellar water and there was still plenty to spare on the shelves after picking up three bottles!

As a rule, I like to have three of each item in my beauty routine readily available. I was all set for eye cream but definitely needed to achieve my perfect balance for moisturizer and serum. For a new moisturizer, I found a Palmer’s cocoa butter night cream that I think will be fantastic. I am a fan of anything cocoa butter and I’m sure this cream will be lovely once it starts getting really cold out. I also went with a collagen serum by Provence Beauty. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the skin care options during this shopping trip as a majority of the products weren’t cruelty free. I probably would have selected a different serum if more choices were available, but maybe this one will surprise me.

The last item on my restock list was a new face wash and I am excited to try the Hydrate Foaming Cleanser by ValJean Labs. I have never heard of this brand before, but foaming cleansers are my absolute favorite. A foaming formula always makes my skin feel squeaky clean without drying it out and I was glad to find one for the winter months. The brand name also reminds me of my niece’s name, Valerie Jane, so it was like a sign that I had to get it! 😀

With my beauty hoard fully intact again and my in store holiday shopping complete, I am thrilled to be done. Now, all that’s left to do is online shop till I drop for the remainder of my gifts and it will be smooth sailing all the way till Christmas Day! 🙂

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? What are your winter skin care staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct21

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Gulf By Rachel Cochran Edition

Posted on October 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Gulf By Rachel Cochran Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a slow burn mystery by Rachel Cochran called The Gulf. I can’t say that this was the best book I ever read and at times it felt painfully slow. However, the story line and characters held my interest and it was still pretty good. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Gulf for child abuse and general violence. Now, lets get to it:

It is the 1970s in Parson, Texas and Louisa lives with her girlfriend, Heather, in the town that is currently failing after being ravaged by a hurricane. Despite a lack of resources and money, Louisa loves her hometown although it hasn’t necessarily been kind to her. Lou and her brother, Robby, were dropped off on their Aunt Cece’s doorstep by their neglectful mother over two decades ago. The past has never felt so present to Lou, especially now as she mourns the death of her beloved friend, Miss Kate, and her estranged daughter, Joanna, returns to town to put her mother’s affairs in order.

Lou and Joanna were the best of childhood friends and spent every day in the forest dreaming up stories and acting them out. They were each other’s first kiss and it was completely Joanna’s world – Lou was just living in it and she was happy to. She loved spending time with Miss Kate and Joanna’s other siblings and it was like being a part of the family she always wanted. Then, a drastic turn of events occurred that essentially ruined Lou’s life…

Their all white school found out that Lou and Robby were being raised by a Mexican woman after their mom abandoned them. The kids were forced into attending an integrated school and all of the offers for football scholarships for Robby were off the table. He was then drafted to Vietnam and died there. The only person who knew about Lou and her brother’s living arrangements was Joanna and a flip was switched. Lou hated the girl who she used to love so deeply with an all consuming rage.

Seeing Joanna after all of these years has brought all of Lou’s trauma back to the surface. But, she is in no position to turn down a lucrative job offer which Joanna has for her: Fix up the dilapidated mansion, Parson House, that Miss Kate bought so it can be sold and Lou will get a cut from the profits. The money is enticing, of course, but Lou has other reasons for accepting the job. She believes that Miss Kate’s death wasn’t an accident and that someone with a grudge murdered her. Lou knows that Parson House is the best place to find answers and accepts the job.

As Lou spends her days working and snooping around Parson House, secrets are uncovered that make her second guess everything. Miss Kate was not the mother Lou knew and her troubled son, Seth, had access to a gun. The better part of Parson also despised Miss Kate and her former husband. At this point, anyone and everyone is a suspect in Miss Kate’s murder and it is up to Lou to solve the case. Only then, can she put her past and Parson behind her for good. Whodoneit? Read The Gulf to find out!

There was a lot that I liked about The Gulf and there was a lot that I didn’t. The story line certainly kept me on my toes and it was a delicious twist between the past and present. As you all know, I love a mystery and what originally seemed clear cut was not in the slightest. The stakes felt so much higher when anyone could have been the culprit in Miss Kate’s death. I enjoyed the writing style of Rachel Cochran as well. BUT, The Gulf was a slow moving book and it almost felt like pulling teeth to get to the next twist. At times, it felt like a chore to read it rather than something pleasant.

Despite the plot moving at a snail’s pace, the characters really helped keep the ball rolling. I adored tenacious Lou and it was easy to root for her. Lou’s life was filled with pain and tragedy and I felt for her. You could tell that all she wanted was love and acceptance and that just wasn’t the way things worked out. The supporting cast was also very interesting because all of them had their own memories and versions of traumatic events that happened to Lou. The only catch was that you didn’t know who was lying and it kept me turning the page!

Is The Gulf worth the read? Who’s to say? I liked it, but it wasn’t great. If you like a whodoneit, then I would definitely recommend it. If you like something more fast paced, then you’re not missing out on anything. I am going to rate The Gulf with a six out of ten stars for its creative plot and excellent character development.

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

Oct20

New Lucky Brand Flannel

Posted on October 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I have been dwindling down my holiday shopping list as often as I can and I decided to spend an afternoon off at TJMaxx so I could put in some more work. Obviously, it turned into a shopping trip for me too, but I needed a little treat!! I should have known that my willpower wasn’t strong enough to simply go in for Christmas presents lol. This flannel was actually purchased because I didn’t plan accordingly to a surefire clothing shopping outing. Check it out and let’s discuss:

^^^ That TJMaxx price adjustment! Score!!

When I am going shopping for clothes, I always make sure that I have a T-shirt on in case I need to try on a jacket. However, this time around, I just had on a hoodie with nothing underneath because I told myself I was only shopping for the holidays. Naturally, while I browsed the clothing selection I found the Happily Grey jacket that you all saw yesterday and I didn’t have on a shirt to try it on with. As soon as I put two and two together, I grabbed any old shirt in my size and made my way to the fitting rooms. The shirt just so happens to be the Lucky Brand one you see above.

I had absolutely no intention of buying this flannel… That is, until I tried it on lol. I am a huge fan of Lucky Brand and this flannel is definitely the best one I own. It is soft as can be and fits just right. It’s not too tight or too loose and is very flattering. I was also blown away by the button down detailing on the back. I have never seen anything like that before and thought it was the cutest! This flannel will be perfect for an All Black Everything OOTD and I already have a look planned for it so be on the lookout for that soon. 😀 Also, can we talk about the price going from eighty bucks to twenty-five at TJs? You can’t beat that!

Flannels are a must have fall staple and I am loving my new one. I was technically not supposed to have tried this Lucky Brand number on if I wore a shirt under my hoodie but I consider that to be a happy accident! 🙂

What is your go to fall staple for clothing? Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct19

New Happily Grey Topper Jacket

Posted on October 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I had an afternoon off and decided to do a little holiday shopping at TJMaxx. However, I am in the phase of my early Christmas shopping where I need a treat too and it turned into a shopping trip for me! Lol, when I got home with TJs bags in tow I told Johnny that “I did some shopping for XYZ” to which he said “And…?” My reply: “…And a little something for me too”. Haha, he knows me so well! But, obviously, I just couldn’t say no to this gorgeous topper jacket by Happily Grey:

I am a huge fan of topper jackets and I clutched my pearls when I saw this number by Happily Grey. Johnny and I love the 70s era of fashion and this jacket gave me all of those vibes. It was one of those pieces that I just knew was going home with me and I considered it a steal at just thirty dollars! I have a feeling that I will be rocking my find all fall and winter long. I own maybe two or so full on “winter jackets”, but I much prefer a topper instead. I like that it gives you the option of layering and that I’m not sweating bullets as soon as I get into a car with the heat on!

I was drawn to my new Happily Grey topper for many reasons, the first of which being the colors. Burnished gold is one of my favorite hues and the cream filigree detailing looked so rich and lux against it. I also live for a faux fur collar, which just added to the expensive aesthetic that this topper gave. The length was lovely too, hitting at the mid calf and I could already picture wearing it with my knee high winter boots. Pair it with cable knit tights and a knee length skirt or dress? Yes, please. 😀

I am so happy with this TJMaxx purchase and I already put it to great use. You can peep that soon in an upcoming OOTD that I created for seeing The Wiz at Playhouse Square. If you are in need of new cold weather duds, hit up TJs ASAP because it is all there for the taking. PS – their holiday decor is out too!

What is your preferred style of winter coat? Does your winter wardrobe need a refresh? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct18

The Wiz At Playhouse Square Review

Posted on October 18, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Saturday, Johnny and I spent a rousing evening at Playhouse Square to see The Wiz. Nothing pleases me more than a night out at one of my favorite places with my favorite guy! I admit that I have never seen The Wizard of Oz in its entirety or have seen The Wiz. However, I knew the story line and a few songs from The Wiz and with a plot and music that fun, it was sure to be a great show. And, it was. The Wiz was a celebration of Black excellence from start to finish and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have seen it! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

^^^ Lol, Johnny had way more fun than these pictures lead you to believe! 😀

We all know the basic plot of The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz stayed true to this. Dorothy gets swept away to the land of Oz after a tornado hits her Kansas home. To return back to the life she knew and her beloved Aunt Em, she must travel to the Emerald City to meet The Wiz. Along the way, she meets new friends that could also use some help from The Wiz. A scarecrow who needs a brain, a tinman who needs a heart, and a lion who needs some courage. The quartet makes their way to the Emerald City together, but must be wary of the Wicked Witch who wants to foil their plans. During their journey, the foursome learns that what they wanted can be found within themselves – they just need to know where to look!

The cast of The Wiz was absolutely divine and there was no weak link to be found. Nichelle Lewis was stunning as Dorothy and her voice was pure magic. Dorothy was spunky and brave and it was impossible to look away from her. And when she sang those high notes? Wow! It was such a joy to see Dorothy’s interactions with her newfound friends and they all worked together so beautifully. Avery Wilson as the Scarecrow, Phillip Johnson Richardson as the Tinman, and Kyle Ramar Freeman as the Lion were perfectly cast and their physicality as the characters were sublime. When the foursome was all together, it was like watching a movie come to life onstage and it was so neat to see the real deal happening before my eyes.

Of course, a shout out needs to be given to Melody A. Betts who played Aunt Em and Evillene. She was so lovely as sweet Aunt Em who took Dorothy in after her parents passed and a force to be reckoned with as Evillene. Her song as Evillene “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” was mine and Johnny’s favorite from the entire show. Deborah Cox as Glinda also gave a very strong performance and her glittering gowns were everything. She blew us away during her number “He’s The Wiz”.

The Wiz featured a very creative set with moving parts and huge projections set on a screen. Rather than a different set for each location, they used the images and lighting to bring the space to life. The woods had a projection of the woods, the poppy field was a projection of a field of poppies and… you get the point! I thought that this was such a good idea for the set of The Wiz because it’s a play about a journey. The location of the characters changed frequently and using images instead of full set changes helped keep the show moving along seamlessly.

Finally, let’s talk about some of my favorite songs! The soundtrack of The Wiz is rooted in soul, gospel, and R&B and it was jam packed with bangers. From upbeat to ballads, the hits just kept on coming with The Wiz. As I mentioned before, our favorite number was “Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News” which was a gorgeous tip of the cap to Aretha Franklin. “You Can’t Win” sung by the Scarecrow gave us all of the James Brown vibes and we loved the Tinman’s smooth rendition of “Slide Some Oil To Me”. Every actor brought their own special flavor to each song and paid homage to the greats. Don’t even get me started on the dance numbers which tied the show together perfectly. “The Emerald City” dance which began Act II was fabulous!

If The Wiz is coming to your neck of the woods, then I cannot recommend seeing it enough. It was a celebration, it was a joy, and it is not one that should be missed. You will love it!!

What is your favorite song from The Wiz? What is the last musical you have seen? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct17

Wedding Dress Delight OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Wedding Dress Delight OOTD! My sis, nieces, and I loved attending a Disney Princess Party together and I invoked the princess vibes from my wedding day by wearing my wedding dress. Yes, I am that extra aunt lol. Although I felt like royalty in my outfit, there are always some pics from an OOTD shoot that don’t make the first cut. I’m pretty sure I have never seen a Disney princess making these faces:

Who, me?

Lol, my fingers look like straight up nubs

The face I make immediately after scratching myself

Just standing here

Gazing forlornly into the distance

Gazing stupidly into the sky

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny has been my master OOTD photographer for over four years and we have our system running like a fine tuned machine. This shoot was different, however, because my sister was the one who took the pictures. This was my requirement for her because I paid for the tickets to the party – the sibling barter system at its finest! After we rubbed elbows with Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff it was time to head home and I posted up by a brick wall to get my OOTD on. You guys all know how much I love a good brick wall! 😀

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned my awareness that literally every picture from my OOTD shoot featured the same pose. This was purely out of necessity because it was cold out!! Val chattered her little teeth and I knew we had to get the girls back in the car ASAP. So, I stuck with poses that I knew would work and faces that I knew would be flattering so we could go home with the heat blasting. We took pictures for barely two minutes, I saw a few that were winners, a few that were questionable, and called it. Huge shout out to Val for being a trooper for her ol’ TT – she’s such a star. ❤

Although my sister did a stellar job as my OOTD photographer, I’ll be happy to have Johnny back to doing what he does best… Making me look good! It’s nice to know that I have someone else on standby, though!

Do you like to get your picture taken? Who usually takes your pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

How To Bring A Little Joy Into Your Life

Posted on October 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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How To Bring A Little Joy Into Your Life

Many times in a person’s life they can find themselves feeling stuck in a rut, deflated, or that there is nothing positive happening. If you feel like this, then it could be for many reasons. One of which could simply be that you are not giving yourself the time you deserve to enjoy the possibilities that life is presenting you. So, whether it is cutting out negative habits, creating new and healthy ones, or simply allowing yourself time to relax, here are several ways in which you can bring a little joy into your life:

Limit your time on social media:

Social media is still a relatively new thing as far as human existence goes. Although it has brought about many new and exciting possibilities, it also has some fairly negative attributes associated with it. Many people can find themselves consuming social media for hours, and letting the days slip by without doing the important things that make them happy. When consuming a large amount of social media it can be hard to detach from what you are consuming, and many people find themselves constantly comparing their lives to those they see online. Both of these situations can impact your mental health in a negative way, and suck the joy out of your life. To combat this, you should consider limiting your time on social media, and instead give that free time to yourself. Even if you do nothing and simply relax, this is better than an all evening social media session.

Find something fun to do outside:

It is no secret that many people, whether they realize it or not, gain huge benefits and satisfaction by spending time outside. If you can couple that with doing a fun activity or having new experiences, then you will significantly increase the joy you experience in life. Whether you live by the sea or a lake and want to learn the basics about paddle boarding, or perhaps if you live near the woods and want to explore your local areas and find out about all the wildlife, consider getting yourself outside and doing something fun to live more fully.

Make time for your loved ones:

Humans are meant to be social creatures. Although it’s perfectly fine to spend time alone, often you will experience a larger amount of joy when spending time with loved ones. This could be anything from taking a vacation together, to simply eating regular meals together. As long as you are enjoying each other’s company is all that matters!

Treat yourself:

If you want to truly boost your happiness in life, you need to learn how to be your own best friend. Do you need to take a break? Take it. Do you want to have that treat? Have it. Do you want to do something different? Do it. Self-love is one of the best ways in which a person can bring a little extra joy into their life.

There are many other ways in which you can bring joy into your life, but why not consider these first?

Featured Image By: Pexels

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