Sep21

DIY Projects For Your Home

Posted on by
Standard
DIY Projects For Your Home

If you are handy, completing DIY projects in your home is a great way to get creative and save some money. This is especially nice as the holiday season is fast approaching and there are gifts that need purchasing! Today, we are going to discuss some DIY projects that range from a beginner skill set to advanced to spruce up your home and fatten your wallet. Let’s get to it:

Painting:

Of course, you can hire a professional house painter but you can also do it yourself! From painting your house to freshening up a couple of rooms, completing a painting project on your own can be lots of fun. You can get creative with the colors and patterns that you choose and you can even turn it into an event. Gather some friends and have a painting party. Music, pizza, and a movie night afterwards will turn a chore into an absolute blast.

Painting doesn’t just have to be limited to rooms and the exterior of your house. If your walls are looking bare, try your hand at painting your own unique artwork to hang up. You can watch tutorials on YouTube or attend a Paint Night with friends to help you get inspired.

Refurbishing:

Refurbishing old and used furniture is an awesome way to save money and even make money if you’d like to sell your completed pieces on the side. It is also eco-friendly as you can purchase used pieces from a secondhand store and give them a whole new life. From sanding and painting to upholstering and adding on to the existing piece, there are lots of possibilities based on your skill level. You will end up with a one of a kind table or chairs that no one else in the world will have.

Landscaping:

If you have a green thumb, landscaping projects could be the DIY for you. Hiring a landscaping company to do it for you is easy but doing it yourself will be so much more rewarding! You could build your own raised planters, make a fountain out of terracotta pots, or simply lay down that mulch that you have been meaning to do for forever. Spending time outdoors is so good for your mental health and is even better when you are with friends. Garden party, anyone?

While your DIY skills may not be HGTV worthy, it never hurts to try something new. Who knows, you might just end up finding your new favorite hobby!

Sep21

Prepping Your Home For Winter

Posted on by
Standard
Prepping Your Home For Winter

When the cold weather comes around, there is nothing better than cozying up on the couch with a good book or your favorite show while the snow falls. However, there is much to be done to prepare your home for winter before you can sit back and enjoy. Let’s discuss a few key things that must be done so you can stay warm, comfortable, and safe all winter long:

Check Your Heating System:

Right now is the best time to have a routine maintenance check on your heating system. The longer you wait, the more booked up your local professionals are going to be and you want to make sure your heating is in check well before the super cold weather hits. Schedule a check up ASAP so that any potential problems can be solved quickly and you and your family can stay nice and toasty this winter.

Make Roof Repairs:

One of the most critical things that you can do is get roof rejuvenation before winter. If you are handy, you can examine your roof yourself and check for leaks, cracks, and weak spots. If not, that’s okay too and you can hire a professional team to get everything back in order. You could have the best heating system in the world but that means nothing when all of that glorious warm air is escaping through your rooftop!

Pest Control:

Just as we want to retreat into the warmth when the cold weather strikes, animals do too. There are countless DIY projects that you can undertake to keep your home pest free this winter. Start by looking for entry points in and around your house that little critters can get in through and patch them up accordingly. Mice can squeeze through even the smallest spaces so you must look things over with a fine toothed comb. And, as always, if you are unsure of anything, it is best to call in the local professionals so you can rest easily and safely this winter.

All Of The Extras:

The bitter cold and snow is enough to keep anyone inside during the wintertime so make sure you have plenty to do in your home to keep you occupied! Games, books, streaming services, and literally all of the soup recipes can go a long way on a snow day!

Prepare your home for the winter now so you can hibernate with the best of them until spring!

Sep21

Fall Haul: For The Lols Hoodie Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Fall Haul: For The Lols Hoodie Edition

Hi!! Johnny and I had to laugh at my Fall Haul from TJMaxx because it was a combination of purchases a teenage boy and a fashionista would make. My haul included lots of amazing business casual and cool weather clothing as well as a few oversized T-shirts (Which you will see tomorrow) and this hilarious hoodie from the men’s section a la The Office. Check it out:

FIRST THINGS FIRST: I will never forgive Netflix for no longer having The Office and Parks & Recreation on their lineup. Johnny and I would watch The Office literally every night before going to bed and we miss it terribly! We also refuse to get the NBC streaming service because we already have way too many. SMH.

SECOND THINGS SECOND: I freaking love this hoodie, lol. As soon as Johnny pointed it out to me, I just had to have it because it is so funny to me. While this is definitely not a hoodie that I can sport at work, it is one that I will be wearing at every opportunity I get. I am usually not one for “silly” purchases as I would rather spend my money on other things but how could I say no to Michael Scott? And, yes, that is what she said!

I bought this hoodie in a men’s small and it fits great as it is slightly longer than being cropped. It will be perfect with my new high waisted jeans from American Eagle and it is So. Freaking. Comfy. Whether wearing it while running errands or lounging about at home, I plan on living in it this fall. I also have a feeling that my Johnny will be borrowing it too! ❤

What is your preferred streaming service? What is your favorite episode of The Office? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep20

Fall Haul: Banana Republic Top Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Fall Haul: Banana Republic Top Edition

Hi! The change of the seasons is prime time to go shopping to give your wardrobe an update. Upgrading your wardrobe for the different weather ahead doesn’t have to mean buying a closet full of clothing, rather, just a handful of pieces to make your old things feel new again. For my Fall Haul from TJMaxx, I had two upgrades in mind: Both my fall and business casual clothes.

Today, we will be discussing a Banana Republic spaghetti strap top. While it isn’t ideal for cold weather in any way shape or form, it will be perfect underneath a cardigan when I’m at work! Check it out:

This past trip to TJMaxx was my first time shopping there with Johnny and it was nothing short of an absolute delight. He is an angel for sitting patiently while I tried clothes on and gave a fashion show…. again, and again, and again lol! After a few trips to the fitting room, I wasn’t completely satisfied with what I had picked out in terms of work appropriate clothing. Luckily, I found this floral patterned Banana Republic top while making my final rounds throughout the store. 😀

Although this cami style top will be the best for play during spring and summer, it will serve me well underneath one of my emerald green or mustard yellow cardigans at work. I have never owned anything by Banana Republic before and I considered this top a steal for just ten dollars! I love the shape because it is fun and flirty without being too revealing. My favorite part, though, is the colors. The primary colors of red, yellow, and blue with sweet pops of pink and green against the white background make for the prettiest palette!

Tops like this are great for creating a unique outfit because there are so many different colors to play with. You could match your cardigan to one of the flower colors as mentioned before. OR you could sport a bold pair of shoes to make the colors pop. Red or yellow heeled booties, anyone? Love it!

Have you had a Fall Haul recently? What did you get? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep19

Fall Haul: Ruby Moon Cardigan Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Fall Haul: Ruby Moon Cardigan Edition

Hi! This past weekend I had a trip to my favorite place in the world (TJMaxx) with my favorite guy in the world (Johnny) and it was the best!! This was my first TJMaxx trip with my husband and it was a great success for me and him too. I walked away with lots of new fall and business casual clothes and Johnny got three new Halloween themed button downs. They are awesome! Let’s get started with my Fall Haul by checking out this cheetah print cardigan by Ruby Moon:

For my new job, I work at an actual center and wanted to branch out with more business casual clothes that are still a lot of fun. Both Johnny and I love animal print and when I saw this cardi, I knew right away that it was going to be a keeper. Printed cardigans are a great way to spice up your work wardrobe and I think that I will be living in this one because I am always freezing at the center!

Despite its length, this Ruby Moon cardigan still has a really flattering fit as it is tighter in the arms and torso. As someone who is barely over five foot one, this is important because it is not chunky enough to be overwhelming and offers some shape to it. I can picture myself wearing it for work or play and I like that because I want my clothing to be worn everywhere and not just on the job.

Dressing for fall is all about layering and cardigans or flannels are the best way to accomplish that. Fall outfits are my absolute favorite and I can’t wait to wear this cardi with my new skinny jeans, a basic cami top, and heeled ankle booties! 😀

How do you upgrade your wardrobe during the season change? How do you dress for work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sep18

New Wine & Lilac Nails

Posted on by
Standard
New Wine & Lilac Nails

Hello!! This past Monday, I had a pretty difficult day at work and was so happy to have been able to spend some time at Elysian Nails getting pampered afterwards. To me, there is nothing better than sitting back and relaxing at the hair or nail salon and my fill couldn’t have come at a better time. As always, I left Elysian feeling like a million bucks with these pretty in purple nails:

When it comes to clothing and colors in general, I am not a huge fan of purple. Not that I don’t appreciate its beauty – it just doesn’t look good on me lol! However, I was feeling inspired by the oxblood nail polish that my friend, Danielle, gave me and was in the mood to try something different. The first polish that caught my eye was the deep wine color and I said “why not?”. For the accent color, choosing the lilac hue was an easy decision because I knew that it would look good and didn’t feel like thinking any more than I had to!

My favorite nail tech no longer works at Elysian, which makes me so sad but, luckily, I think I found a new go to gal with this past fill. My new tech completed my fill in roughly forty minutes and no sooner than I sat down, it felt like I was already done… It was great! 😀

Even though this was a super fast fill, my nails looked absolutely perfect and I loved the color combination that I selected. In fact, I already plan on going a similar route at my next appointment with a dark and light shade of the same color. I’m thinking a dark and light grey next. ❤

What color of nail polish are you rocking? How do you relax after a difficult day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep17

1,000 Day Streak: Complete!

Posted on by
Standard
1,000 Day Streak: Complete!

Hello everyone and welcome to my 1,000th day of writing in a row here on lifewithlilred!! I am so proud to have accomplished this monumental achievement and here’s to 1,000 more days of daily content on my blog. To celebrate, I will be hosting a giveaway for a twenty dollar amazon gift card and the whole world is included! The rules are simple and there will be one week to complete the following:

  • Follow my blog
  • Share this post
  • Like this post
  • Leave me a comment letting me know that you have done all three
  • Bonus point if your comment links to one of your favorite posts on your blog

It’s that easy, folks!

For 1,000 days straight, Lil Red has been dedicated and oh so motivated to deliver fun and fresh content to my dear friends and readers every day. I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support, which makes all of this more worthwhile than words can say. It means the world to me and I love you all!

What motivates you? What are your writing goals? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep16

LEGO Sailboat Adventure Set

Posted on by
Standard
LEGO Sailboat Adventure Set

Hi! A few weeks ago, Johnny and I had a huge LEGO haul which included our Seinfeld set, a Harry Potter one, and a Sailboat Adventure set that we got FO FREE. After spending a certain amount, we got free shipping and the free set and it was a great deal. We definitely have enough LEGO to keep us occupied for a while but, of course, we are always thinking about the sets that we want next!

This past weekend, we built the Sailboat Adventure set together and it was a blast! It also turned out really good if I do say so myself:

Building LEGO sets with my husband is one of my favorite things in the world and we are so happy to add the little sailboat to our collection. There is nothing better than completing a set together and admiring our handiwork and on top of being tons of fun, it is so nice to work as a team to make something cool to have on display. If only we had a bigger place so we could make our completed sets the crown jewel that they deserve to be!

On deck, we have two Harry Potter LEGO sets to build: The Attack On The Burrow which Johnny got me for our two year anniversary and the Hogwarts Chamber Of Secrets. Once those are done, I have my eye on the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower and Johnny would like a pirate ship set. While we are always looking to expand our Hogwarts castle, our Sailboat Adventure set inspired us to begin adding adventure themed sets to our collection. We are thinking pirate ships, islands, and castles. 😀

Although the Sailboat Adventure is the smallest set we own, we have big things in store for it with our plans for an adventure island. I can’t wait!

What do you like to build with LEGO? Who watched LEGO Masters this season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep15

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Posted on by
Standard
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Hi! Guess what?! We are officially THREE DAYS AWAY from my 1,000 post streak and I am so beyond excited! Make sure you keep it posted for a giveaway to celebrate this monumental accomplishment. 🙂 We all know that Lil Red loves to write, but what about my other favorite things? Read on to find out more:

Favorite Drink?

Every day I try to drink a lot of water and bring my travel mug from the Department Of Developmental Disabilities with me everywhere to stay hydrated. This makes me feel less bad about drinking two cans of Diet Coke every morning for a caffeine jolt before work lol! Diet Coke is, hands down, my favorite drink and I could drink it all day. When it comes to adult beverages, I love champagne and my life changed for the better when I learned that you don’t need a special occasion to drink it. 😀

Favorite Non-Writing Hobby:

I have always loved to read and I try to finish at least two books per month. Getting lost in a good book is one of my favorite forms of self care and it’s even better if it is raining outside! I also really enjoy learning different languages and am on a three hundred twenty-five day streak on Duolingo. French is my best language, by far, but it is such fun to try and improve my Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech too!

Favorite Season?

Fall, of course! Every year I look forward to fall time… Mainly for the fashion! I love layering, boots, and breaking out all of my favorite jackets. Fall time activities like apple picking, hiking, and corn mazes are also a blast and I live for haunted houses. I haven’t been in two years due to the pandemic and, sadly, probably won’t get to go this year due to the rises in COVID cases. But I cannot wait to get reacquainted with my favorite haunts when it’s safer.

My first job was actually as an actor at the Carnival Of Horrors and, even though I know a ton of haunted house tricks, I am still terrified at every one I visit!

Favorite Thing About Myself?

Well, I like to think that I’m frickin hilarious. But, my favorite thing about myself is probably my determination. Once I have a goal in mind, I try to stick with it and I wouldn’t be reaching a 1,000 post writing streak without that. Nothing pleases me more than crossing things off of my mental daily “to do” list and that’s what keeps me motivated to continue writing, practicing my languages, and working out every day.

Favorite Sport:

Ice skating! I skated competitively for about ten years and stopped when I was sixteen or so. Prior to the pandemic, I got back into it and lived for my weekly skate sessions. I actually just had my first lesson since the winter of 2020 a few weekends ago and it was amazing… Even though my legs felt like Jello all day afterwards!

When it comes to my favorite sport that I like to watch other than skating, I would definitely say gymnastics. My mind is blown every time I see it so, trust and believe that my brain was exploding during these past Olympic Games.

Favorite Memory:

My wedding!! Getting married this June was so amazing and I love being a wifey. Any time spent with my Johnny is my favorite. I also loved becoming an aunt when my niece was born, graduating from Cuyahoga Community College, and vacationing in Orlando, Florida with my family.

Favorite Game:

My husband and I are avid gamers and I love our weekend game nights together. Word games are my favorite so my preferred game is Scrabble, for sure. Johnny and I also love the game Horrified where you have to save a village from classic movie monsters. In terms of video games, I am still addicted to Animal Crossing and Pokemon Snap – I actually just played both last night! 😀

And, of course, another one of my favorite things is creating content every day for my dear friends and readers. I love you all so much! ❤

What are some of your favorite things? What are your goals? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Toy Tips For Your Dog   

Posted on by
Standard
Toy Tips For Your Dog   

A new toy for your dog can be exciting because of all the fun ways they interact with it. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for getting your dog what he needs out of life, but there are some general guidelines you can follow if you’re unsure where to start with choosing the right toys for him. Some examples might include rubber balls or rope tug-of-war games like Runball, which are heavy-duty enough to withstand serious chewing without tearing. Here are some tips on what types of toys you should get for your furry friend:

Don’t Buy Cheap:

Don’t buy any cheap non-breathable rubber toys when buying something for your canine pal. These products often contain chemicals such as lead which could cause serious harm if ingested by our pets. It isn’t worth risking everything, so save yourself some money and buy a nice toy that will last.

Measure Up:

If you are buying a new toy for your dog to play with, then consider their size. A small breed of dogs should not be given large toys because they could potentially choke on them. While the larger breeds may need medium-sized toys that will still provide fun but won’t swallow entirely, so it is important to take this into consideration before making any purchases.

Compatibility:

Dogs are naturally inclined to want to chew. They love it, so toys that encourage this behavior can be a great way of giving your dog an appropriate outlet for his chewing instincts. But not all dogs have the same interests when it comes to playtime. Some will tear through another toy in seconds, while others prefer more interactive activities with their owners or other pets.

Plush Toys:

Another option would be a durable plush toy. Ones that can stand up to your dog’s chewing for a few weeks, at least. Plush toys make excellent toys for younger dogs that have been separated from their mothers. In the early days, your pup might also need toilet training, so in the short term, definitely consider a scooping service from scooptroop.com. 

Balls:

For any game involving fetching or throwing, balls provide lots of entertainment value. Dogs love chasing after them too! There are many different kinds available. Like tennis balls, squeaky balls, and even glow-in-the-dark balls if you want something extra special for nighttime playtime.

Give A Variety:

Give at least three different specific toy choices for the dog to play with. This helps them get used to new things and it also makes the experience more fun because they won’t know what’s coming up next. Ensure you know which size toys are appropriate and how much supervision is needed when your dog is playing with them.

^^^ Image by Mat Coulton from Pixabay

Dogs will love any treat you give them, even if it isn’t edible. They just want something they can enjoy playing around with. But, of course, every pup is unique, so don’t expect them all to go crazy over the same toys. As long as you provide them with a good, durable toy that fits their personality or play style, then they’ll have hours of fun playing around and being rewarded for it.

Featured Image By: Katrin B. from Pixabay