Sep20

Going To Therapy Update

Posted on September 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!!! Last month I announced that I was going to start therapy and I was really looking forward to it. I thought it would be most helpful after this extremely difficult past year to have a third party to talk to. Unfortunately, I did not care for the therapist that I was seeing after my second session. It just wasn’t a good match at all and that’s okay. Sometimes you have to shop around to find a therapist that works for you.

To be honest, I was kind of put off immediately during my first session with the person who I was seeing. The meeting was brief – barely over a half hour and I don’t think she fully listened to what it was that I wanted to get out of therapy. At twenty-nine years young, I know myself enough to know what it is I needed and that was simply someone to talk to and unload all of these pent up emotions. During our following session, it felt like the therapist wasn’t really getting it. Instead of hearing my saga, she assigned “homework” and offered solutions for statements that were beside the point.

It wasn’t that I minded hearing ways to overcome stress in the now, but I thought I made myself clear enough that the issue was, first and foremost, issues in the past. I felt really disappointed after our second session because I didn’t feel heard and that is the entire point of therapy!! I decided to cancel my upcoming appointment that was scheduled and didn’t plan on trying a different therapist out. However, the receptionist who I was speaking with encouraged me to give it one more chance with someone who might be a better match for me.

I begrudgingly accepted the new appointment for early next month and I am proud that I did. I also am very appreciative to the receptionist who nudged me forward in that direction. I told myself beforehand that I would wait a few months for another shot at therapy and I’m glad that I didn’t drag my feet. Now, I feel hopeful for my upcoming session and I know it will do me a world of good. What’s that old saying? If at first you don’t like your therapist, try, try a new one? Lol.

Although it is discouraging for a therapist to not be a good fit, it’s a normal thing. My initial instinct was to give up for now and that’s not going to help me one bit. If you are in a similar situation, try again! I am lucky that the receptionist said the same to me and this is me encouraging all of you! ❤

Did you have to shop around for a therapist that worked for you? Who do you like to talk to about your problems? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep19

Sweet Surprises: Skeleton Champagne Flutes Edition

Posted on September 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! It is obviously no secret that Halloween is my happy time and Johnny and I maintain a spooky mindset all year round. Our Halloween decor is every day decor and we live for horror flicks and true crime documentaries. Spooky season soothes our souls and it’s so sweet when people reach out to us just to let us know which stores have the best Halloween decor out or which scary movie we have to watch. My dad, for example, is forever keeping me up to date on when our local discount store has a new shipment of spooky decorations out. What a guy! This past week, he surprised me with these darling skeleton champagne flutes and I adore them:

My dad purchased these flutes at Target and it gave me all the warm fuzzies because my mom told me that as soon as he saw them he said “Sarah would love these”. He was right on! They are just what I needed, in fact. I used to have wine glasses that were very similar from the Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, Johnny and I had to throw them out because they began leaking after a few months of use. I never forgot them because they were so cute and my new flutes are a perfect replacement.

Despite all of my parents’ children being thirty something, they firmly believe we are never too old for surprises. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have come over to their house to see new beauty goodies or Halloween decor for me after one of their trips to the store. It’s never anything expensive or extravagant and it never needs to be. Just knowing that they saw something that reminded them of me is more than enough. I cannot wait to break out my flutes for apple cider mimosas and toast to the bearers of this sweet surprise!

Cheers to Halloween, cheers to my parents, and cheers to all of you! Here’s to the best spooky season ever!

What is the last thing someone surprised you with? What is something that reminds your friends and family of you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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

Sep17

Belated Nine Year Blogiversary!!

Posted on September 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!!! September 13th was lifewithlilred’s Nine Year Blogiversary and it came as a huge surprise to me lol. Obviously, because this is a belated celebration post! Not only was the date of this a shock, but also the length of time. It feels like just yesterday that twenty year old Sarah sat down and began her blogging journey. It is thrilling that almost a decade later, my blog is still going stronger than ever with daily content for the past four years and change!

As always, the best part about lifewithlilred is all of the incredible friends and readers that have come along for the ride. And, man, have we been through a lot! You have all been there through major milestones in my life – graduating college, new jobs, and getting married. It is so special to me to know that my dear readers are there celebrating the good and offering support for the bad every step of the way. It inspires and motivates me to no end, which is the main reason lifewithlilred has kept on truckin all of these years.

Every day, I feel so excited to sit down and write and I think that my blog is a reflection of my favorite phrase “the joy of writing”. I write for me, I write for my beloved viewers, I would write for no viewers – it just makes me happy to do. lifewithlilred is something that brings me true joy and it is my safe haven that I have carved out in the great world wide web. For nine years, I have been in blogging bliss and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for my page in the years to come. ❤

Thank you to each and every one of you for being the driving force behind lifewithlilred for the past nine years. I could not do it without that love and support and it works both ways. I love all of you and wish nothing but for you to continue on in your blogging journey and experience the joy of writing every day!

Sep16

Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

Posted on September 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Mary Kubica called Just The Nicest Couple. This book was pretty good, but suffered from a horrible case of an extremely lackluster grand reveal. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Just The Nicest Couple for murder, violence, and miscarriages. Now, let’s get to it:

Lily and Christian really are just the nicest couple. They are self proclaimed “math nerds” and Lily is a beloved math teacher at the local high school. This is where she met her good friend, Nina, who is an English teacher and her neurosurgeon husband, Jake. The two couples have shared many an outing together for drinks and dinner and consider themselves to be close friends. But do the couples know each other or even their own partners as much as they think?

Nina and Jake’s marriage is on the rocks because the possessive husband doesn’t like Nina caring for her ailing mother. Meanwhile, Lily and Christian are in a very sensitive situation as Lily is with child and they have suffered many miscarriages before. Both couples are experiencing different changes, but it’s nothing in comparison to how their worlds are about to be turned upside down drastically. One day, Christian returns home to find Lily beside herself and her story drags them into a high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Lily says that she ran into Jake on a hiking trail and he brought her to a secluded area in the woods to look at a mother deer and her babies. Instead of seeing a sweet sight, Jake begins to hurt Lily. To defend herself and her baby, she hits him with a rock again and again and runs away. The only catch? Lily has no idea if she killed him or not. That day, Nina waits up for Jake almost all night and he doesn’t return home. He is nowhere to be found the following day, either, and won’t return any of Nina’s calls or texts.

Nina is not surprised to not hear from Jake as they had a tumultuous fight the day before. She assumes he’s crashing at a hotel blowing off some steam. It isn’t until the hospital Jake works at calls to say that he isn’t shown up for surgeries when she begins to worry. He loves his job even more than he loves her. Lily and Christian determine that there is no possible way Lily could have killed Jake and Lily tiptoes her way around Nina to gain intel and be the “good friend”.

The cops are less than helpful to Nina since Jake is an adult and can disappear if he wants to. So, she takes matters into her own hands and plays detective. It isn’t until a body is found in the woods that Lily and Christian’s panic surges. They have to be one step ahead of the cops’ investigation and Nina’s. As the story continues and Nina’s suspicion of the nice couple intensifies, Nina and Christian are all but ready for the cops to arrive and arrest them. But, what if Lily really didn’t kill Christian after all? And if not, who did? Read Just The Nicest Couple to find out!

Just The Nicest Couple went back and forth from the perspective of Christian and Nina, and you all know how much I love an alternating narrator. I also enjoy a cat and mouse thriller so I thought the story line was an exciting and interesting one. I can’t say that any of the characters were particularly likeable, but I liked the plot and it kept me turning the page at a rapid pace. I finished it in just three sittings!

I was very much into this book until the last fifty or so pages and then it took a drastic turn for the worse. The grand reveal was just so dumb that it completely took away from everything that I had read leading up to it. I was expecting to give Just The Nicest Couple a fairly high star rating and it instantly plummeted. I, myself, did not figure out the reveal because it was just so unlikely and out of left field I didn’t even consider it. A book can be great, but if the ending is terrible then what’s the point?

In terms of writing, Mary Kubica was just alright in my opinion. Her writing style seemed very repetitive and I didn’t like how she used the same word or two so frequently in close proximity to each other. Just The Nicest Couple was also riddled with typos – at least ten and that is unacceptable to me. At times, this made the writing feel juvenile and left me feeling less than impressed. I grabbed another Kubica book from the library when I checked out Just The Nicest Couple, but I don’t think I will read any more after I finish her other book.

I wanted to like Just The Nicest Couple SO badly and was going to rate it highly. However, I can’t overlook such an epic failure of an ending and the massive amount of typos and spelling errors. I am going to rate this book with a four out of ten stars. Give it a read if you want, but it’s one that you’re not going to be missing out on.

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

Sep15

Early Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Early Fall OOTD! Similarly to the transition from spring to summer, dressing for early fall can be a head scratcher. Is it going to be chilly? Is it going to be blazing hot? Do I need a coat? Do I wear shorts? It can be a big fat question mark and I wanted to create a look that would be comfortable during crisp mornings and a warm afternoon. Let’s take a look at some of the shots that didn’t make my first, second, or third cut and discuss bellies. We all have them! Here we go:

Focused, flourishing, thriving.

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

Definitely was getting distracted by a dog being walked 🙂

Luring you all in with my seductive gaze 😉

Wait…….. what???

Okay, seriously guys. WTF is this lol

Who, me? 😉

A conversation that I have frequently with my girlfriends is our changing bodies. Lol, weird but true and it makes sense. As all of my friends are in their late twenties/thirty somethings, we have noticed little things that we weren’t complaining about fresh out of high school. We feel tired constantly, our metabolism might have slowed, and areas that used to be toned are not the way it used to be. My “problem area” – my belly!

I will be the first to admit that when I wore this crop top, I was thinking a lot about “sucking it in”. Then, I remembered the advice that my girls and I always end our “body talks” with. Bodies change. Damnit, we are all almost or past thirty and our bodies simply aren’t going to look like they did in high school. They just aren’t and that’s okay. I also reminded myself of my golden rule when I briefly second guessed the top… Wear the clothes. Wear it, strut, and rock it. Am I going to have six pack abs? Hard no! That doesn’t mean I’m any less worthy of wearing a crop top than someone else.

As I get older, I feel more and more confident in myself than I ever did in my youth. In my early twenties, if I wasn’t wearing something that looked just so, you could forget about it. Now, I dress for me. I had a minor faltering when I put the crop top on and then I recalled sound advice from my friends and myself. Conclusion? Everyone has bellies. Everyone has butts. Everyone is not going to look the same and that’s a beautiful thing!

This Early Fall OOTD was made to teach everyone about styling a look for changes in weather. I like to think it did, but it also taught me a refresher on my golden rule and self confidence. What a win/win!!

How did your body change as you got older? What is something that you used to feel self conscious about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Early Fall OOTD

Posted on September 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! The weather in Ohio is slowly making its way towards fall like temps. The mornings and evenings are chilly, but it still is getting close to the eighties during the daytime. With this fluctuation between fall and summer temps it can be hard to decide what to wear. So, I decided to create an Early Fall OOTD to make the most of the weather, whether it is warm or cool! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Ivory Sweater: Jessica Simpson, TJMaxx

Floral Crop Top: Altar’d State

High Waisted Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Barbie Pink Platforms: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

The bracelet ring is from Claire’s and I have no idea where the earrings are from lol

When I began styling my Early Fall OOTD, I already had my Jessica Simpson sweater in mind. It is brand new and I couldn’t wait to wear it! A sweet sweater or cozy cardigan is also an ideal way to go when creating an outfit for a questionable temperature. All you need to do is slip it off or on at your convenience! An important thing to note about this layering piece is to make sure what you have on underneath still forms a cohesive look in case you want to take it off. The rest of the OOTD still matters even if it’s covered up at first!

With the sweater already a must for my outfit, it was onto forming the rest of the base. I pulled from the creamy color of the sweater and chose a lavender crop top with white flowers from Altar’d State. This crop top is cute as can be and is a great piece to keep cool in once the day begins to warm up. Remember when you are layering that you never want two heavy pieces together – IE a thick sweater underneath a cardigan. All this does is create width. This crop top was just right for underneath my sweater because it laid comfortably without competing in color, shape, or style.

Since the top half of this look was oh so sweet with the soft colors and florals, I wanted to edge things up with the jeans. I went with my distressed high waisted skinnies from American Eagle Outfitters to help the cause. The high waist complimented the crop top and sweater alike because its waistline hit close to where both of the hemlines ended. The huge holes in these jeans also provided some extra ventilation in case the day started getting hot!

With the base of my Early Fall OOTD settled, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I put on my Marc Fisher platforms. I thought the Barbie pink heels paired with the lavender crop top looked darling. It also matched my nails beautifully! To complete the look, I chose a pair of dangly owl earrings and my ring bracelet. I didn’t feel the need for too many pieces of jewelry since my arms were covered by the sweater for most of the day. I also didn’t want to take away from that fabulous square neckline on the crop top!

The beginning of fall is the time to give those summer clothes a final hurrah and I consider that mission accomplished for my Early Fall OOTD. This blended look of seasons was exactly what I needed to keep me both warm and cool throughout the day!

When do you put your summer clothes away for the season? What is your favorite sweater or cardigan like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep13

New Jessica Simpson Sweater

Posted on September 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny was a real champ during our Labor Day shopping trip at TJMaxx. I, admittedly, spent forever looking for skin care, perused through Halloween goodies, and tried a bunch of clothes on and he only complained a little. What a guy!! It was a glorious sight in the clothing departments at TJs because it was filled to the brim with fall clothing. There were cute cardigans, warm jackets, and snuggly sweaters galore. I was originally shopping for an outfit to wear to an event that Johnny and I will be attending soon. I couldn’t find jack, but ended up walking away with this gorgeous sweater by Jessica Simpson:

I am a highly experienced shopper and with that experience comes knowledge. When I see a piece of clothing, I know almost immediately if it will work well for me or not. Nine times out of ten, I am right and these pieces end up coming home with me. It’s a gift, really. When I saw this lovely, ivory hued sweater, I gasped. I have never seen anything like it with those beautiful raised flowers and could have bought it without even trying it on. Like I said, I just know!

On the off chance that I was wrong about this sweater (obviously I wasn’t lol), I tried it on anyways and loved what I saw. This sweater is perfect. The color is so creamy and rich, it’s soft as can be, and offers endless styling possibilities. It hits right at the top of the waist, which makes it an ideal candidate with high waisted skinnies. It could be worn over top of a sweet dress, paired with a skirt, or even with a jumpsuit to extend those fun summer staples into fall. This sweater can be worn with any color or anything and it’s exciting to find pieces that are so versatile. 😀

I cannot wait to feature this little Jessica Simpson number in an upcoming OOTD so keep your eyes peeled for it. Hurray for fall clothes!!!!

Are you revamping your wardrobe for fall? What are you shopping for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on September 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! On Labor Day, I had the potential to go into work but as luck would have it, I had the day off. Johnny and I made the most of our free day by visiting his parents, going grocery shopping at Aldi, and shopping at TJMaxx. I was fresh out of moisturizer and needed to do a restock of my beauty hoard. And, of course, I never say no to early holiday shopping and treats like a gorgeous new sweater you will see tomorrow! The skin care department was severely lacking during this trip, but I managed to walk away with the following:

Normally, it doesn’t take me long to pick out skin care when I’m at TJs. I know which brands I like and are cruelty free so it’s just a matter of locating them and filling up my cart. This time around, I couldn’t find any of my go to brands! I was really hoping to find another jar of the Rescue Me moisturizer by goodhabit, but it was nowhere to be found. To add salt to the wound, the majority of the selection was from brands that weren’t cruelty free. I spent SO long going through all of the moisturizers and serums and coming up empty handed. Not that I mind the thrill of the hunt for skin care, but even I was getting annoyed!

For moisturizers, I ended up with three jars that I probably wouldn’t have bought if the pickings weren’t so slim. I’m sure they will be fine and maybe I’ll end up liking them, but I am always partial to a gel based moisturizer! These were the literal only cruelty free ones I could find and were relatively cheap at six bucks a pop so what can you do? I also found a serum that I am kind of interested in trying out with all of that shimmer. I love a touch of glitter and I’m hoping it will bring a pop of brightness during the grey months of fall and winter.

One final thing that caught my eye was some floss picks, which I also happened to be running low on. Rather than making a separate trip to Giant Eagle for them, I thought I’d give these plant based picks a go. You never know what you’ll find at TJMaxx! I have taken my oral health very seriously since my raging success at my last periodontist appointment. Floss picks have become a must have staple for me and it makes me feel good to be taking much better care of my teeth. I’m just hoping these plant based picks will be as durable as the ones that I usually use!

Am I thrilled with this TJMaxx Skin Care Haul? Not particularly and it was a very lackluster showing on TJ’s part. On the bright side, these are all new to me products and it’s always fun to test out new brands. We’ll see what happens!

What are your must have beauty products? What is your favorite cruelty free brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep11

Early Holiday Shopping Pro Tips

Posted on September 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I constantly have Halloween on my mind, but I am also thinking about the holiday season something fierce. With a big family to shop for, I like to begin my Christmas shopping early and have already begun as of last month! The mere thought of last minute holiday purchases gives me anxiety and come December, I love being able to fully enjoy the season thanks to a fully complete shopping list. If you are an early holiday shopper too or are trying to get a head start for the first time, here are some of my pro tips:

Make your list:

Before I begin my holiday shopping, I write out a list of everyone I need to shop for. Then, I add vague gift ideas and the hobbies of each giftee for inspiration. This is one of the most obvious tips, but it really does help! With gift ideas clear in my mind, I can then pick up items that fit the bill in stores I’m already going to go to like TJMaxx and Target. Without a solid game plan, it makes it easy to pass by options that would be perfect. Chances are that if you think about it after the fact, the gift you could have bought will be out of stock.

Establish a budget:

After making my list, I create a budget that works for me. This usually looks like “spending X amount per person” and I tend to follow the formula of one bigger gift and a few smaller ones. Of course, I may go over or under budget a little and that’s okay! Having clear guidelines established through a shopping list and budget sets you up with a perfect game plan before you start shopping. A strict budget will also keep you from overspending, which is SO easy to do during the holiday season!

Make the most of rewards:

Every little bit helps during holiday shopping and rewards programs are my best friend. For example, I stockpile my points on Amazon that I receive from my credit card throughout the year. By the time I’m ready to start purchasing presents, I can get some of them for free! If you are a gift card giver, your grocery store might offer bonus points on your rewards card like mine does. The moral of the story? Learn about the rewards from each place you plan on shopping at and other stores too. Just by signing up, you can usually get a free product or a percentage off of your first purchase. Even if you never shop there again, it’s great to get deals and you can give yourself some extra wiggle room on your budget.

Peck away:

What helps me the most with managing my budget is making purchases here and there. While I might do some bigger hauls later in the season, I try to buy a handful of gifts each month leading up to the holidays. There is nothing worse than being stuck with a huge bill and breaking up your buying into pieces eliminates that possibility. Throughout September until mid November, I peck away at my list and then do a bigger order or shopping trip for the remainder of what I need. This has always worked really well for me!

My heart says Halloween, but my mind says shopping smart for the holiday season. All of the tips above are what I use to make my early holiday shopping successful. There is nothing better than being done way ahead of time! 😀

Are you an early or last minute holiday shopper? What are some of your holiday shopping pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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