Oct30

October 2023 Finishes

Posted on October 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! October is drawing to a close which means it’s time to discuss my beauty product finishes for the month. Although I wish it could be Halloween season all year round, I am pretty excited about November lol. Am I the only one who has been craving Thanksgiving food something fierce?! 😀 In October, I used up a lot of products that I have been working on for a while and most of them were A-okay in my book. Take a look and let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Gingham Gorgeous Lotion: MAYBE

Bath & Body Works Poppy Shower Gel: YES!!!!!

Pearlessence Dewy Glow Serum: YES

Clean Beauty Deep Hydration Moisturizer: MAYBE

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

The Body Shop Shea Butter Hand Cream: MAYBE

Renew Intensive Skin Therapy Hand Cream: MAYBE

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: I love the lotions by Bath & Body Works and think that they work marvelously. However, I just could not get behind the Gingham Gorgeous scent. This lotion smelled like a flower shop on steroids and it was a bit much. While I normally never really care about a lotion’s scent because I only use it at nighttime, I was SO ready for this one to be over! Of course, I’d use it if I got it as a gift but I wouldn’t select Gingham Gorgeous for myself again. It took over one month of daily use to finish the bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: Now, Poppy was a scent that I would definitely use again! It was fantastic and Johnny loved it too lol. Poppy was fruity and sweet but not overly so and it was so nice to use every morning. I really enjoyed the notes of pear and I was sad when I ran out. This is a scent that I think anyone would like and I would happily use it again. It took over one month of daily use to finish the bottle.

Pearlessence Serum: The Dewy Glow Serum by Pearlessence is one that I use frequently from TJMaxx and it hits just right every time. This serum is a bit thicker in texture, but absorbs really quickly and sits well under makeup. I think it definitely helps to revitalize my skin in the morning – especially when I am feeling super tired. I love how fresh my face looks with each use and will always get myself a bottle of it when it’s available at TJs. It took me about a month of twice daily use to finish the bottle.

Clean Beauty Moisturizer: I am kind of torn about the Clean Beauty Deep Hydration Moisturizer. On one hand, I am a huge fan of its value. It took me at least five and a half weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar. On the other hand, I have never noticed mind blowing results from this moisturizer. This is not the first time I have used it and I had similar sentiments every time. If there is nothing else available at TJs, I’d buy it again but otherwise I would skip on it.

Hand Creams: I have been steadily dwindling down the random hand creams I own and both The Body Shop and Renew creams were fine. However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to get them again. Neither of them exceeded my expectations in any way, but they would be nice to have handy on the go during the wintertime.

I am really pleased with my October empties overall. Although there were several “maybes” none of them were completely awful and I consider that a GREAT SUCCESS!!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Posted on October 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!!! Although Halloween is my favorite holiday of all time, I only have two costumes in my entire closet. One being a sexy Raggedy Anne that is old as dirt and a skeleton bodysuit that I wore two years ago. Last year, I created a costume from home and dressed up as Johnny lol! Because my options for a costume this year are pretty much nonexistent, I decided to finally buy a new one. I went with a sexy circus ringleader and I love it. But, damn dude, when did costumes become so expensive?! Then again, Halloween is like Christmas Day for me so why not go all out. 😀 Take a look at my new costume and keep it locked for an OOTD because I cannot wait to take pictures in it:

I ordered this costume from Spirit Halloween online because I could not be bothered to make my way to the store. As soon as Spirit Halloweens start popping up in my neck of the woods, they become picked over within a day and I just didn’t want to deal with the hassle of limited options. I was a bit nervous that my ringleader costume wouldn’t fit but it actually ran very true to the size chart and I am thrilled about it. This will make future online costume shopping so much easier because it eliminates any guess work. The costume I selected only came with the velvet cami top, jacket, and a little top hat so I purchased the pleather booty shorts separately. I also added on some cheetah print false lashes to complete the look.

This was actually not my first choice for my ringleader Halloween costume. Originally, I had selected a jumpsuit for the sake of staying warm. Then, Johnny talked me out of it while we were exploring other ringleader costumes. He insisted that I would look amazing in the one I bought and after a lot of mental back and forth, I ended up agreeing with him. Johnny shot down every “what if it’s too much/too short/too anything” every single time and it made me feel so good and confident. Hey, when he’s right he’s right because this costume looked FIRE on.

I felt so fabulous when I tried this costume on and was surprised by its quality. I adore the cami top and, honestly, will probably end up wearing it beyond Halloween! The maroon jacket was fairly thick, which I liked and it offered such gorgeous detail. Can we talk about that chain attachment between the buttons and the embroidery?! I might have dragged my feet about the price I paid, but I think anything less expensive could look cheap and feel flimsy. I am very happy with my purchase overall!

I am SO excited to break this costume out and wanted to give all of you a sneak peek before the grand OOTD reveal. Now, cue “Circus” by Britney Spears, please!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How often do you buy a new Halloween costume? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Are You Ready For A Dog?

Posted on October 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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If you are thinking about getting a dog, then you will need to make sure that you are actually ready to look after them. It can be a lot trickier than you might think, and there are going to be many things that you need to do to make sure your pet is getting the best care possible. In this post, we are going to discuss some of the things to focus on to ensure that you are genuinely ready to look after a dog in your home and make one part of your life:

Time:

First of all, having a dog means that you need to have quite a bit of time in your daily life, and that is something that you just can’t really get around. Only by having plenty of time can you ensure that you are able to look after your dog as well as you would hope – because you need to walk them and so on, and all of that simply takes time. Look at your general schedule and be honest with yourself about whether or not you are able to care for a dog with the amount of time you normally have available.

Energy:

You will also need to devote a lot of personal energy to your pooch, because walking with them, playing with them, and generally caring for them all requires that you have a lot of energy to give. You need to again be honest with yourself about what kind of energy levels you think you can muster, so that you are likely to effectively care for a dog. You might have a breed that loves to play, in which case this is going to be especially important to consider.

^^^ Pexels Image

Space:

Your home needs to have plenty of space if you are going to look after a dog effectively, and again this is something that you can’t really expect to get around. Think about what breed you want and how much room they are likely to need, and then make sure that you are working with that as well as you can. Only by offering up the right amount of space can you hope to care for your dog as well as necessary, so this is something that you should definitely think about here.

Love:

And last but certainly not least, a dog needs a lot of love, more than many other kinds of pets. You will probably find that this comes naturally, but it’s something to be aware of in any case. If you can give them the right amount of love, they are going to be happier and you will find that looking after them is a lot more enjoyable too. That is a major part of getting ready for having a dog in your home and in your life, so be sure not to overlook it.

A dog is a huge commitment if you are up to it, but it is so worth it. They will add so much joy to your home and life!

Featured Image By: Pexels

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

Oct27

Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi

Posted on October 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooooo! Johnny and I finally went grocery shopping and it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. We had literally nothing to eat at the apartment and there were several Pinterest recipes that I have been dying to try – one of which being a Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi by Simply Delicious. I am pleased to report that it turned out amazing and both myself and my picky eater husband absolutely loved it. This recipe had minimal ingredients, took under an hour to make, and allowed for plenty of leftovers too. Check it out:

When it comes to cooking during the work week, it is a must for the recipes to be easy peasy. While I really enjoy cooking, I really enjoy relaxing after a long day too lol. The Cacio E Pepe recipe by Simply Delicious was extremely straight forward. All I did was cook the gnocchi, prepare the sauce, stick it in the oven for fifteen minutes and dinner was served. There were no crazy techniques or a litany of ingredients involved and that is something I appreciate. Although I am a great cook, I am definitely no Master Chef!

Speaking of ingredients, there were only ten needed to prepare this dish. The beauty of this recipe is that a majority of the ingredients are things that you more than likely already have. The only items I needed to purchase was the milk, cream, and gnocchi. Not only was the recipe completely new to me, but it included an ingredient that is new to me too – cream!

I have never made a recipe that called for cream and even if it did, I probably would have used milk because that’s what my mom would do. However, I decided to go all out for this dish and use the cream and calories be damned lol. I am so glad that I did because I don’t think the end result would be the same without it. My baked gnocchi turned out divine. It was incredibly rich and just one serving filled me up. Despite it being a short lived meal, each bite was heavenly. The sauce was so bold and flavorful, the gnocchi was tender, and it is one of my favorite things that I have ever made.

As per both mine and Johnny’s request, I will one thousand percent be making the Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi again. Huge shout out to Simply Delicious as the mastermind behind this dish!

What is your favorite kind of pasta? What do you normally cook during the work week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct26

Flannels For Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Flannels For Fall OOTD! This outfit was super simple to style, but it felt so fabulously fall and fresh with a black and white color palette. I loved it and it was the perfect outfit to find the perfect tree to pose under. However, that was easier said than done! Let’s take a look at some of the shots that definitely didn’t make the first cut and we’ll discuss that further:

Looking like I’m about to cry but I swear I was having a good time!

What are these… LEAVES?!

When your husband has got you like

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

There’s nothing funny about this shot but I think the cigarette earring looks hilarious lol

A surprise cameo by Johnny in the bottom corner

A big surprise cameo by Johnny in the entirety of the picture!

In the good ol A-K-Rowdy, it is peak fall time and it is absolutely splendid. The temperatures are cool, but not unbearable and the trees are spectacular this year. I can’t recall the changing of last year’s leaves to be as pretty even though I’m sure it was. This year, however, it feels like everywhere I turn there are bright red, orange, and yellow leaves adorning every tree. It is gorgeous and are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures underneath a tree? I think not!

Despite all of the beautiful trees surrounding us, it was actually rather difficult to find just the right one. Most of the trees around Timber Top were almost empty already and smaller, colorful trees in my parents’ neighborhood were all on someone’s property. While I am not above knocking on someone’s door to ask to borrow their tree, I wasn’t in the mood lol. This left minimal options and we decided to use a tall, red leafed tree as our backdrop. The only issue? You could only see the trunk! The tree was tall AF and I was nowhere near close to any of the branches. On the bright side, there were plenty of red leaves on the ground so at least all of you got the point. 😀

When it comes to picture backdrops, I take what I can get. And if it’s not exactly what I want, then who cares? At least my outfit is fire! 🙂

Are the trees changing colors in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite leaf color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

Flannels For Fall OOTD

Posted on October 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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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

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