Dec29

Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Posted on December 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello! On Christmas Eve, Johnny and I celebrated with his wonderful parents and Aunt Elaine and it was a hoot! We had a delicious dinner, opened gifts, and continued on with the thirty year strong Miller family tradition of watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We spent a fantastic day together and it felt so warm and fuzzy – both from the family love and the fact that it was way warmer at Chez Miller than it was in mine and Johnny’s apartment! As always, Johnny’s family spoiled us rotten and we are so appreciative for their way too generous gifts. Check it out:

This is my third Miller Christmas and just when I thought that my second family couldn’t outdo themselves any more in their holiday game, they proved me wrong. Johnny and I were blown away by our gifts under the tree and in our stockings and our gifters truly know us too well. Three or so days before we celebrated, Johnny was so close to buying the Willie Nelson Chia Pet at Walgreen’s! I was really surprised that Johnny didn’t make the purchase and part of me thought he was holding off to make it a post Christmas treat. That’s one future errand to cross off the list. 😀

My favorite gift from this haul has to be the hilarious mug my father-in-law gifted to me. I haven’t been tempted yet to send Johnny off to the circus but this mug has certainly given me some ideas to think about. 😉 Johnny’s dad also gifted us with the spray fire extinguishers. He is the king of funny and practical gifts! And, can we talk about how adorable the Son’s Survival Kit is that Johnny’s mom got him as a stocking stuffer? I thought that it was so sweet and had to include it in this post even though it’s not mine. ❤

Aunt Elaine gifts me and Johnny with our absolute favorite chocolates from Boston every year. They are simply the best and we have been making very quick work of our Christmas candy selection! Candy is synonymous with Christmas at the Miller home. My mother-in-law makes amazing homemade chocolates that are seriously to die for. I actually have one of her huge homemade candy trays at my parents’ house that I can’t wait to dig into later today!

I am lucky enough to celebrate every holiday with two families that I love so much and this Christmas was a GREAT SUCCESS. I’m already excited for next year’s celebration! 😀

What kinds of gifts did you give this holiday season? What is your favorite gift that you received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

My Presence Is A Present OOTD Bloopers

Posted on December 28, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Christmas OOTD entitled My Presence Is A Present lol. I had grand plans for lots of Christmas time looks and, unfortunately, that didn’t go accordingly to plan at all. We celebrated with Johnny’s family on Christmas Eve and when we woke up that day, the temperature in our apartment was barely sixty degrees. It. Was. Awful. The culprit was a very improperly sealed front door and the last thing I wanted to do was stand on the cold tile of the bathroom to do my hair and makeup! These bloopers will be the last of my holiday season OOTDs so keep it posted until next year for more! Haha check it out:

A nice shot of me and my dog’s butt

That face you make when you see your dog 🙂

Hiking up my britches for a Christmas extravaganza

Hey girl hey!!!!!!!!

I’ll nail the dramatic turn eventually

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

I have no idea what is happening here

One final give me my phooooooooone of the year

Although none of these pics are worthy of being included in a Christmas card (Or are they?!), I had a celebration worthy of a Hallmark movie. My family Christmas was so incredibly perfect and it was a joy to be almost all together. We were missing my brother-in-law, Ramon, who had to work. Negative four degree temperatures didn’t slow down our celebration at all and we spent the day opening gifts, enjoying a delicious meal, and basking in the excellent company of each other. My best face might not have been forward in these bloopers but, rest assured, it was all smiles all day this Christmas. ❤

I hope that each and every one of you had an amazing holiday season. Stay tuned on lifewithlilred to ring in the new year for lots more fun, fashion, and bloopers too! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays? Did everyone keep warm this past weekend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec27

My Presence Is A Present OOTD

Posted on December 27, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This little fit was worn during my Christmas celebration with my family and it was such an amazing day. My Presence Is A Present might be a cocky title for a holiday outfit, however, I had to let it be jokingly known to everyone since I was sporting an adorable bow headband! This outfit isn’t the most exciting but it was perfect for the day of running around after three small children and kept me warm with the frigid temp of negative four. Yikes! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Philosophy, TJMaxx
Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Chain Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx
Skull Earrings: Betsey Johnson, TJMaxx
Bow Headband: Marc’s

This outfit is actually a very far cry from what I had in mind. Originally, I was planning on wearing a skirt and jacket combo to my family Christmas extravaganza. Obviously, it didn’t end up hitting the way I had hoped for and, honestly, it was a good thing. It was SO. Freaking. Cold. and rather than spend time trying to make a less warm outfit work, I scrapped it entirely for a look that I wouldn’t completely freeze my nads off in. I also wanted an outfit that kept me comfortable as I tried to keep up with my nieces and nephew!

With simplicity, warmth, and comfort being the new focus, my striped sweater by Philosophy was the optimum choice. It is so soft and I love the way it fits. It has just the slightest touch of slouch in the sleeves while being more form fitting in the torso, which is refreshing after endless aisles of oversized cold weather apparel. And, although this holiday fit ended up being basically All Black Everything, the poppy bright stripes added some festive cheer. This sweater was an awesome purchase and it served me well in the clutch when my first fit was an epic failure.

Since a skirt wasn’t in the cards, the only other option for bottoms was a pair of jeans and I wore my old standby from American Eagle. I sure as hell wasn’t going to be wearing the distressed pair with under zero degree weather! As always, the jeans from AEO are the absolute best. They fit so well and hug the curves of my body without being too tight. I have never owned a better pair of pantaloons in my life and can’t recommend them enough if you are on the hunt for a good pair of skinnies.

For accessories, not only was my original outfit a bust but so was my hair. It just wasn’t behaving the way I wanted it to and I was getting so annoyed lol. After what felt like forever of mussing and tussing my hair in the bathroom mirror, I threw my hands up and said “Screw it, I’m getting a headband”. The green bow band that I selected was bought for a dollar at a local discount store and it was just what I needed to tame the beast of my mane and incorporate some holiday fun.

With a headband on, I didn’t want to overdo it with a flashy pair of earrings to avoid looking cluttered. So, I kept things simple with a pair of Betsey Johnson earrings in a lovely teardrop shape. This pair was ideal because it didn’t hang too low and, of course, I like anything with skulls on it! These earrings were a gift from my mom two Christmases ago and I was happy to break them out for our celebration this year. ❤

Finally, it was time for shoes and I selected my pair of Olivia Millers. I purchased these for twenty dollars last winter and they are adorable and of such good quality despite the discounted price. The white stitching around the chunky base is such a cool detail and the bold silver chain turns the basic shape of the boot into something special. Granted, I did slip a little outside in these babies in the snow and ice but that’s neither here nor there. 😉

Even though my presence wasn’t a present in the OOTD I had planned for, I still like this one all the same! Keep it posted for bloopers from this look tomorrow!! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays? What did you wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec26

Holiday Fun At Lock 3

Posted on December 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!!! This past Wednesday, I bundled up against the cold with my sister, Kristen, and sweet nieces, Val and Raya, for some pre-Christmas fun. Originally, we were going to go to a somewhat far away holiday lights display but got turned off by the driving. So, we headed to downtown Akron’s Lock 3 instead that hosts light displays and ice skating in the winter. The rink was crazy crowded and to both mine and Val’s disappointment, we had to pass on her first skating lesson with TT. We still had a blast visiting Archie The Talking Snowman and playing mini golf, though! Check it out:

Literally everyone in northeast Ohio knows Archie The Talking Snowman. He had a long tenure at Chapel Hill Mall until it closed down a few years ago and since got moved to Lock 3. Every holiday season when we were little, we would visit Archie at the mall and tell him what we wanted for Christmas and, of course, that we had been good all year. He would then promise to put in a good word with the Big Man just for us. Yes, it was just some guy in the gigantic snowman talking to us but it was freaking magical as a kid!

Kristen and I thought Val would be stoked to meet Archie and tell him what’s on her wish list but that was far from the case. Lol, little lady was freaking terrified and, honestly, so was I! The booming voice of Archie reverberated throughout the entire area and even into the parking garage. I don’t remember him being so loud! Val agreed to let Kristen talk to Archie on her behalf and it was a fine compromise. 🙂

After visiting with Archie, we went to check out the adorable displays set up in cabins that used to house vendors for a Christkindl Market. These displays actually used to be set up in windows all throughout the buildings of downtown Akron and it was cool to see them all in one place without walking around the city in the cold. I definitely remember the little snowpeople window from way back when! This was my favorite one and Val’s too. She is such a TT’s girl! ❤

When we were done scouring the displays, we realized ice skating was a bust. To warm up and make the most of the evening, we played mini golf at the small indoor course set up by the Akron Children’s Museum. This was the first time Val played putt putt and it went better than we expected – no meltdowns were had unlike her TT when she was little! About halfway through mini golfing, Val realized it was the funnest thing ever and took mine and Kristen’s turns for us. She rolled with the punches of not being able to skate beautifully and our evening ended on such a high note.

I have always loved the holiday season and it is infinitely better now that Johnny and I have sweet nieces and nephews to share it with. I cannot wait to take Val skating and it looks like we’re going to have to go mini golfing this summer!

Are there any holiday traditions like Archie in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite holiday activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec25

Merry Christmas!!

Posted on December 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and a very Merry Christmas to you!! Whatever holiday you celebrate this winter season, I hope that all of you have been having the best time enjoying great company and food and making wonderful memories. This is the eighth holiday season that I have had the pleasure of wishing good cheer to my dear friends and readers throughout the blogosphere and it never gets old. Each and every one of you are the reason why I get up extra early to write every morning and my page would not be what it is without that constant motivation. You are all so amazing!

I’m sure all of you have family gatherings to attend and gifts to open so I will keep this post short and sweet. I just wanted to personally send my well wishes to you and yours for a fantastic holiday season and prosperous new year. Thank you for being my friend and for taking the time out of your days to keep up with Lil Red. I love you all!

Merry Christmas!! ❤

Dec24

Bath Bomb Blitz: Lush’s Bigfoot Edition

Posted on December 24, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Bath Bomb Blitz! This past Tuesday, I had an easy day and ended up getting back home early. As much as I would have liked to put Hoarders on and become one with my couch, I put on my adulting pants and completed the dreaded chore of cleaning the bathrooms. It sucked lol. After my cleaning session, I felt the urge to douse myself in hot water and decided to make use of one of the bath bombs my bestie gifted me with for Christmas. I used the Bigfoot bomb and, although I didn’t like it as much as the Black Rose bomb that I used last week, it was still pretty good. Check out some pics and let’s discuss:

The Bigfoot bath bomb was fairly run of the mill, however, there were still a few aspects of it that surprised me. I thought it was really cool how the bomb started fizzing from the toes when I dropped it in the water. It looked like little torpedoes taking off and that was fun to see. Other than that, this bomb didn’t have much movement around the tub and stayed relatively put in one spot until it fizzed out. It was fine but it didn’t give as good of a show as other Lush bath bombs that I have used before.

I was also taken aback by how long the Bigfoot bomb took to fizz out. As you can see, it is definitely smaller than your typical Lush bomb and I thought it would be lucky if it lasted for three minutes, tops. I was completely wrong and the bomb didn’t dissolve until a solid five minutes. This additional length of time was neither here nor there because of the lack of movement from the bath bomb. If it were a more entertaining fizz out, I would be there for it but I was SO ready to get in the tub after two minutes of the lackluster performance.

In terms of scent and color, the Bigfoot bath bomb was just alright. It had a really light citrus scent that was pretty but dissipated rather quickly. The pink, blue, and lavender fizz was also nice enough but didn’t blow me away. There were times when the water was actually looking quite murky so its end result of glittery dark purple water was a welcome change of pace. I wish that it had more of that darker hue throughout the fizz!

The last surprise of the Bigfoot bath bomb wasn’t exactly a good one – it left residue! This was, perhaps, the biggest shock that the bath bomb offered because I wasn’t expecting it at all. The Black Rose bath bomb by Lush left no staining even though it turned the water jet black. So, just be warned that the Bigfoot bomb does require some additional clean up after the water has drained.

Overall, I am going to rate the Bigfoot bath bomb with a five out of ten stars. It was far from the best Lush bath bomb that I have used and I wouldn’t get it again. If you are considering it, I would highly recommend choosing something else instead with a bit more pizazz!

What is your least favorite chore? How do you relax after a cleaning session? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

Bath & Body Works Haul

Posted on December 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I moved into my very first apartment, I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to buy Bath & Body Works hand soap for my place. We never used them at my parents’ house so it was exciting to pick out scents just for me (Clearly I lead a thrilling life). They have been a staple in my home ever since my move in date and I always look forward to the next time Johnny and I need to restock our supply. With only one hand soap left in the cupboard, it was about that time! Check out my haul:

Would I Buy Again:

Peach Bellini: YES
The Apple Of My Eye: YES
Vanilla Bean Noel: YES!!!
Twisted Peppermint: YES
Winter Candy Apple: NO
Fresh Sparkling Snow: MAYBE
The full size lotion was free with my purchase!

With four scents that are a resounding rebuy and only two “mehs”, I’d say that this was a very successful haul. Even more so because I ordered these online! Granted, I did know some of the scents already but still lol. While the Peach Bellini will always be my A1 hand soap scent, the Vanilla Bean Noel was a close second this time around. I have used the vanilla before but I forgot how freaking good it smelled. Some vanilla scents can become sickly sweet with the add ins of “sugar cookie” or “frosting” and the Vanilla Bean Noel is just right. It smells purely like vanilla bean without any unnecessary additions and I cannot wait to use it!

The Apple Of My Eye and Twisted Peppermint are also scents that I would happily buy again. Sometimes, there will be a dud of a scent in my order because it smelled nothing like what I pictured in my mind. That was not the case at all with these two soaps and there were no surprises when I took a whiff. The Apple Of My Eye smells exactly like my favorite candy of caramel apple suckers and the Twisted Peppermint smelled like… Peppermint! What a shocker. 😀

The two scents that missed the mark for me was Winter Candy Apple and Fresh Sparkling Snow. I thought that I was going to love the Winter Candy Apple but in this instance, the apple scent did nothing for me. It’s very sweet with floral notes and is one of my least favorite scents from the holiday collection. Fresh Sparkling Snow was alright. Its scent was very light, which is to be expected. However, the combination of icy melon and pear was pretty lackluster. I would buy it again if it were on sale for the cheap but would skip on it otherwise.

Overall, I am really pleased with my Bath & Body Works Haul. My only regret is that the free lotion I picked out was in the only scent that I didn’t like. SMH!!!!!!!!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works holiday collection? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

Jolly AF OOTD Bloopers

Posted on December 22, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Jolly AF OOTD! Johnny and I had the best date day while I was sporting this look and it doesn’t get more holly or jolly than that. And, of course, it’s jolly AF to poke some good old fashioned fun at myself too so let’s get to the yikes shots that definitely aren’t Christmas card worthy:

Sassy ladyyy

Don’t mind me just looking straight up terrifying 😉

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

Tried to do a dramatic turn, which clearly didn’t work out

Took a little stumble…

And she’s okay!!!

Give. Me. My. PHOOOOONE. Yikes, dude.

My face when I tell Johnny “just a few more” pictures

Surprisingly, this picture was taken before I had a drink at the bar!

OOTDs are, honestly, my time to pretend like I’m on America’s Next Top Model and as you can see from the pictures above, I am well on my way lol. These posts have always been one of my favorite things to create for lifewithlilred because it’s purely fun for me. I just love the process of it. Styling an outfit, picking out a location, and trying to get perfect pictures is a fashion challenge that I am always up for. And, although going through the million pictures that Johnny takes each shoot can be a time consuming chore, the hunt for the best bloopers turns it into a much more enjoyable feat!

One of my goals for these past few months was doing a lot more OOTD posts and, unfortunately, that didn’t go as planned due to unforeseen circumstances. However, the craziness has slowed down significantly in Lil Red’s world and I am excited to get back on the horse for more fashion, shoots, and date days with my blog husband! And, of course, laughing at all of the shots that make me glad that I haven’t fully quit my day job. 😀

Stay tuned on lifewithlilred for all of the Jolly AF Christmas festivities. Even those dead inside still know how to get down with the holiday spirit!

What is your favorite thing to blog about? Do you delete “bad” shots or post them anyway? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec21

Jolly AF OOTD

Posted on December 21, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After a wildly successful haul at TJMaxx, I have been dying to break out some of my new purchases and did so on Saturday. Johnny and I spent a wonderful afternoon visiting at my parents’ and then we went to downtown Cuyahoga Falls to take some pictures and go to our favorite bar. This was a quick photo shoot because it was freaking freezing out but, as always, Johnny was a stellar blog husband and only complained a little! Lol, check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Topper Jacket: Philosophy, TJMaxx
Holiday T-Shirt: Sadie Maes Co (Gifted by my bestie!)
Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Smiley Face Scarf: Nardi & Tagliaferri, TJMaxx
Fingerless Gloves: Steve Madden, TJMaxx
Brocade Heeled Boots: Bamboo, TJMaxx
Dagger Earrings: Purchased on vacation

Last Friday, my bestie and I had our annual holiday hang out and she gifted me with the most amazing T-shirt by Sadie Maes Co that features the tagline “Dead Inside But Jolly AF”. Nothing has ever spoken so much to me before and I truly believe that this shirt was made for me. With the approaching holiday, I just had to break it out in an OOTD and mine and Johnny’s Saturday date day was the perfect occasion.

It is very rare for me to feature a T-shirt as a piece in an OOTD. In fact, this might be the first time ever in lifewithlilred’s over eight year history! In a way, it almost threw me off a little because while a T-shirt is an essential item in the wardrobe, it is very casual. Rather than try to dress this T up, I embraced it and styled this look with running errands or a lunch date in mind. Nothing goes better with a T-shirt than jeans and to make things more interesting, I went with my ultra distressed pair from American Eagle Outfitters.

My Jolly AF outfit is about as dressed down as I get when I step out and I thought that my new Philosophy topper jacket would be a good compliment to the vibe I was going for. The pattern is so fun and bold but the light knit material offers an easygoing air to throw on over a T-shirt. I loved how the deep red and black pattern looked over the fossil grey T and this jacket is also long enough to cover the exposed parts of my legs. Very nice!

With the base of my outfit ready, it was time to accessorize. I went with one of my favorite pairs of Bamboo heeled boots for several reasons. 1) Gold and red is stunning together so the brocade pattern was ideal. 2) These boots blended seamlessly into the jeans for a nice, long leg line. 3) With a more simple base of the outfit, it gave me the opportunity to use statement heels. The Bamboo boots gave a touch of glam without going overboard and I was happy to incorporate that into an on the go OOTD.

During the cold winter months, it is a necessity to accessorize with warm bonus pieces. I didn’t want to overdo it on cold weather accessories, especially because the jacket and boots were statements enough. Remember, accessories are meant to enhance an outfit so if they start taking away from the base of your look, it might be a good idea to remove some. To keep with the grey motif, I chose my smiley face scarf by Nardi & Tagliaferri. This seemed like the best option, considering the slightly macabre memo on the shirt! I also went with my favorite Steve Madden fingerless gloves. I love the surprise colors peeking out on the fingers and it added some variety to the color palette I was working with without being distracting.

To complete this look, I added a cool pair of dangly dagger earrings that I got on vacation. I like to think of my neck as one of my good features and am never thrilled to cover it up with a scarf. If you feel similarly, put on a simple pair of dangle earrings to still draw attention to that area and give the illusion of length despite your wrap or scarf. It works like a charm!

This was such a fun OOTD to create and I am so happy to use my new clothes and Christmas prezzie in a brand new look. Keep it posted on lifewithlilred for the bloopers from this shoot! ❤

What is your favorite cold weather accessory? Do you like to dress up or dress down? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec20

Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

Posted on December 20, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My best friend, Lea, and I have celebrated fourteen Christmases together and we had our annual holiday hang out this past weekend. It was a hoot! I made us a big baked ziti dinner and our husbands had a man date playing banjo together while Lea and I girl talked the evening away. After almost a decade and a half of prezzies purchased, you would think that Lea and I would be fresh out of gift ideas. That’s far from the case for us, though, and Lea is one of my favorite people to shop for! As always, she knocked it out of the park for me too. Check it out:

Until a week or so ago, I never appreciated the joy of fuzzy socks. However, one of my clients gifted me with an amazing pair of slipper socks last week and I am obsessed. So, I was insanely excited to receive some more pairs from Lea! These holiday socks are the softest, most comfortable things that I have ever put on my feet. They keep my tootsies toasty and they are too cute to boot. The polka dot pattern is so sweet and how adorable is that little hedgehog?! 😀

Lea loves to frequent craft fairs during the holiday season and the jewelry dish and T-shirt were both bought at one she went to with her mom. The jewelry dish is going to be perfect for housing my stud earrings, which is just what I need. I have so many pairs throughout the house that I have taken off and never bothered to put back smh. This dish is so pretty and simple and the cream base with the mauve rim is divine.

The piece de resistance from this holiday haul is, of course, the hilarious T-shirt that Lea got me. I have never owned any type of Christmas themed clothing and this shirt is the one to have. Its sentiment speaks to me on a spiritual level and I would have bought it for myself if I saw it while shopping. What can I say, after fourteen years of best friendship, Lea knows a thing or two about me! Although this is a holiday shirt, I will be wearing it year round. In fact, it just might make an appearance in an OOTD coming soon!

I had the best time celebrating Christmas and comradery with my best friend. I look forward to our holiday hang every year and here’s to fourteen more years of them!

Do you have any holiday traditions with your bestie? Where do you like to shop for holiday gifts? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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