Jul12

Hump Day Jams

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Hump Day Jams

Helloooo everyone and happy Hump Day! We’re halfway through the week and so close to the glorious weekend so it only seems appropriate to provide some jams to get us stoked for dumb old Thursday and Friday! As you guys know, I’ve been trying to update my iTunes after quite a few years of neglect and I am having such a blast rocking out to some new and old favorites. Here’s what I’ve been listening to as of late and bear in mind that I have no rights to these songs or videos!

Lol, obvs it’s a pretty random compilation that I’ve been playing but when isn’t it?! I’ve been in love with finding songs that I can literally play on repeat and enjoy myself as much the tenth time listening to it as I do the first. All of these songs do that for me, particularly Left Alone by Flume & Chet Faker, which I have no problem playing on repeat while I’m getting ready for the day in the morning EVERY MORNING. If you listen to one of these suggested songs by yours truly, make sure it’s that one!

So there you have it, my Hump Day Jams! What are your current music favorites? What are some of your play on repeat for the rest of eternity jams? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

Starting An Exercise Regime From The Beginning

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Starting An Exercise Regime From The Beginning

Most of us work sedentary jobs these days. When you’re sat behind a desk in an office, at the checkout of a till, or in the driver’s seat of a car for eight hours a day, it’s easy to fall into a routine of doing little to no exercise whatsoever. Before you know it, you’re so unfit that you struggle with even the most basic of daily tasks. No one sets out to end up like this, but it happens all of the time. But the great thing about the human body is how resilient it is. With a little effort and dedication, you can go from the most unfit person ever to running marathons. Our bodies can improve, heal, and achieve so much with the right training. If you’re fed up with huffing and puffing and want to live a healthier lifestyle, here’s how you can boost your fitness levels.

Build Up Your Foundation:

It’s not as easy as hopping on a treadmill and going for gold. When you’re unfit, you need to spend some time building a foundation or base level of fitness up. Your best bet for this is to head to the gym and keep using a piece of equipment that you’re comfortable with. Keep going until you can comfortably exercise for 30 minutes without it feeling like your heart and lungs are going to burst out of your chest. It might take a number of weeks or months to achieve this, but once you’re there you will have a solid base to work from.

Work On Flexibility & Strength:

It’s not just your cardiovascular system that you need to improve to increase your overall fitness. Strength and flexibility are also important, so be sure to incorporate these into your routine a couple of times a week. Strength training will increase your muscle strength and tone (and make cardio easier, since you have stronger muscles to support yourself) and flexibility will give you a greater range of motion. This keeps your muscles loose and supple and prevents injury.

Change It Up:

Once you’ve built up some strength, fitness, and flexibility, it’s time to change it up (REMIX!). Try out other pieces of equipment, look online at different routines, or book a few sessions with a personal trainer. When you keep doing one activity, your body will get used to it and you won’t get the most benefits from your work out. You could join some fun classes, sign up for a sport, try out HIIT, and even get some exercise equipment for your home to squeeze in those last minute workouts when you don’t have time to get to the gym. There are plenty of spin bike reviews here if you want to get into cycling or you could go with a rowing machine or treadmill. Either way, having equipment at home can help you up your activity levels and achieve your goals faster.

Set Goals:

Once you’re feeling fit and healthy, now is the time to start challenging yourself. Set some goals and do what you can to smash them. Decide exactly what you want to achieve in your fitness journey and take the proper steps to make it happen. Keep it fresh and enjoyable, because that way you’ll be far more likely to keep it up.

If you’re still trying for your beach bod this summer, keep these tips in mind and you’ll be bikini ready in no time! You go, girl!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul11

Creating A Solid Foundation – On Your Face!

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Creating A Solid Foundation – On Your Face!

Modern foundation is a far cry from the clumpy, cakey foundation our mothers used to wear, but you would hardly know it sometimes due to the fact that so few of us know how to really do our foundation well. If you’re a foundation fan, and you want to avoid the caked-on face and look as flawless as a cover model, here are some simple makeup artist approved tips to help you do your foundation like a pro:

Find The Perfect Match: First and foremost, if you want your foundation to look good, you need to choose the right product. To test the color of foundation, you should apply a sample to the jawline. If the color blends in and cannot be distinguished from the rest of your skin, you know you’ve got it right.

As well as choosing the right color, you will want to use the right type of foundation for your skin. For example, matte products work better for oily skin, while drier skin may benefit from a dewy finish. To find out more about choosing the right foundation for your skin type, continue reading on soundbodylife.com. It might also be a good idea to try out a few samples or speak to a beauty adviser to find the perfect match.

Prepare Your Skin: You should never put foundation on your face without first cleaning and moisturizing it. Let the moisturizer sink into your skin for 3-5 minutes and then you can add a primer if you need your makeup to last all day or if you have very visible pores. If not, you can skip that and apply your foundation directly to your face.

Use The Right Tools: You might be surprised to know that makeup artists advise applying foundation with the tips of the fingers for a light coverage look. If you want to achieve a higher level of coverage, using a sponge or Beautyblender, which you can read more about at http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/makeup/g3711/how-to-use-beauty-blender-tips/ is advised. Throw out that brush right now and see your foundation improve!

Apply Concealer Last: If, like many women, you always apply your concealer before your foundation, you’re doing it wrong! The experts say that it’s better to apply it after foundation because then you won’t end up using too much. Makeup artists also advise using a concealer that is just one shade lighter than your skin. Doing it this way will help to prevent reverse panda eyes – not a good look.

Use A Luminous Powder: If you’ve been avoiding face powder because you think it gives you a dull, lifeless finish, then you obviously haven’t tried out luminous powder, which is perfect for reflecting the light and giving you a radiant glow. The trick is to apply the translucent powder in a ‘W’ shape starting from your left hairline, sweeping to the right. Hello, bright and pretty skin!

Less Is More: One final tip when it comes to foundation, concealer, powder, or any makeup really, is that less is more and by applying only the bare minimum that you need, you will always get that professional look you’re after.

A gorgeous makeup look starts with a strong foundation on your face! Try out these tips next time you’re doing your makeup for a picture perfect appearance.

Featured Image By: Flickr

 

Jul11

Sick Of Stuff? Smart Solutions For A Clutter-Free Home

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Sick Of Stuff? Smart Solutions For A Clutter-Free Home

Is there stuff everywhere you look in your home? Are you tired of tidying up only to find that the house looks like a bombsite the day after? If so, you’re not alone. If you’ve got a guest room packed full of boxes or your bedroom furniture is constantly draped in clothes, here are some smart solutions for a clutter-free home:

Out With The Old:

Before you attempt to tidy or take a trip to the store to look for storage units for sale, unleash your inner ruthless streak and have a clear out. If you haven’t got space to store everything, there’s absolutely no point in keeping things that you haven’t even seen for years. If you’ve got an attic full of clothes and toys that the kids have grown out of, a collection of old TVs or game consoles gathering dust in the garage, or your shelves are packed with video games, books, or DVDs that you don’t want anymore, then now is the time to get rid of it. If you’ve got items that are in sell-able condition, consider listing them on auction sites or host a yard sale. You could also put a bag together and donate it to charity.

Storage, Storage, Storage:

If you’ve got shoes lying around the bedroom, clothes draped over chairs, or toys strewn all over the living room floor, investing in storage will change your life. It’s so easy to accumulate stuff and, before you know it, you’ve run out of room to keep it tidy. Buy boxes and crates to store toys and look into buying a second-hand chest or wardrobe if your closet is bursting at the seams. You could also use a clothes rail to save space or put a shoe rack in the bottom of your wardrobe. Alternatively, you could get in touch with professionals that install custom closets raleigh nc, or in your local area, to make this dedicated space for you inside your closet.

If you’re limited when it comes to floor space, make use of the walls. You can fit units and hang shelves to store everything from jars, containers, and plates in the kitchen to ornaments, photo frames, and books in the living room.

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 Cleanliness is godliness!

Daily Chores:

It’s so much easier to keep on top of clutter when you make an effort to tidy up after yourself on a daily basis. It takes five minutes to run around and put everything back in its rightful place at the end of the day. If you do this, you’ll save yourself from wasting hours on the weekend trying to tackle massive piles of stuff when you should be putting your feet up and enjoying a well-earned rest.

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That high ceiling!!

Clutter is a major bugaboo for most homeowners. It can make it virtually impossible to find things and it can contribute to stress and make it hard to keep the home clean and tidy. If you’ve got too much stuff, tackle this problem now. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get. Have a clear out, get rid of anything that you don’t want, and start organizing each room. Buy storage boxes and containers, hang some shelves, and look at furniture options with added storage. Have a quick tidy at the end of the day, and you should find it much easier to keep the clutter monster at bay for good!

Featured Image By: Flickr

Jul11

Liebster Award #8

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Liebster Award #8

Hellooo everyone and happy Tuesday! I am so thankful to the darling Gemma of Foodie And The Beauty for nominating lifewithlilred for its eighth Liebster Award. How lovely it is to have such a wonderful blogger think of me for such a cool little award. Please be sure to check out Gemma’s page and give it some love – you are sure to enjoy it! As you guys know, I always try to do these awards posts when I’m nominated because 1) It’s fun and 2) It’s an honor. Having friends in the blogging world that think of you enough to share your page with the world is something that I am so appreciative of. So, thank you again to Gemma and now let’s get to the rules:

The Rules:

  • Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you.
  • Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
  • Nominate 11 blogs.
  • Give them 11 questions to answer.

Q & A:

What beauty product can you not live without? I couldn’t live without a good moisturizer, face wash, and red lipstick (Of course.)!

What was your dream job when you were younger? An actress – but you know what? I think I would much rather be a blogger, instead. 🙂

What’s your biggest pet peeve? More like what ISN’T my biggest pet peeve?! Uhmm…Numero uno, though, is probably people who make sayings from memes their Facebook statuses and then take the credit like they made it up. WE’RE ON TO YOU AND YOU’RE NOT FUNNY. Petty? Yes. But it’s the truth!

What’s your favorite clothing store? I love Urban Outfitters, Zara, Forever 21, Target, and H&M – obviously I have trouble coming up with just one of anything.

Where in the world has been your favorite vacation? HARRY POTTER WORLD in Orlando, Florida! What I wouldn’t give to go back!

Favorite type of food? As a vegetarian, I love Indian, Mediterranean, and Mexican food.

Do you prefer Summer or Winter? Winter all day every day. I hate being hot. When you’re cold, you can throw on a sweater and all is well. But it’s so hard to get un-hot once you’re already burning up!

What’s something you really want to achieve or do? I would very much like to be fully fluent in French in one year’s time, which I’m well on my way to.

Who’s your biggest idol? Mmmm, I don’t know. My sister and my mom, methinks!

How did you get into blogging? Enough people told me to start one and I rolled my eyes and said “FINE”! Now, here I am almost three years later still nurturing my blog baby and haven’t looked back since.

Twitter or Facebook link: My personal Facebook page can be found here and my page for lifewithlilred can be found here!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. Matte or glossy lipstick?
  2. Favorite sweet treat?
  3. The best concert that you’ve ever been to?
  4. Last series you binge watched?
  5. Least favorite school subject?
  6. Any weird or hidden talents?
  7. Something that grosses you out?
  8. What do you admire about your best friend?
  9. Male or female celebrity crush?
  10. Last movie you saw in theaters?
  11. What did you do for your last birthday?

Shout out again to Gemma from Foodie And The Beauty for lifewithlilred’s Liebster Award #8 nomination! How would you answer some of Gemma’s questions for me? How about some of my questions for my lovely nominees? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Battle Of The Sexes: How Men And Women Get Ready

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Battle Of The Sexes: How Men And Women Get Ready

You’re going out. Maybe it’s date night, or perhaps an evening out with friends to celebrate a special occasion. Both you and your boyfriend have agreed what time you need to leave; you have to be out of the door by 8 PM/8:15 at the very, very latest.

So the clock starts ticking. *Que Jeopardy theme*

vss.pngClocks can’t rush perfection. 😉

6 PM; You: “I guess I better start thinking of what I’m going to wear…”

You head to your closet and start inspecting literally everything that you own. Of course, none of it is acceptable; a closet full of gorgeous clothing but nothing that you’re enthused about wearing. You try on a few outfits, but none of them seem to be the right look for the night.

6 PM; Boyfriend: “Oh that’s right, we’re going out.”

And then promptly forgets about it, continuing on with the task he was doing beforehand. SMH.

6:30 PM; You: “What are you wearing?”

Having finally decided on your own outfit, you decide it’s probably a decent idea to make sure your boyfriend isn’t going to clash. You track him down and ask what he’s wearing.

6:30 PM; BF: “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest.” (Typical.)

He doesn’t panic, though. It’s pretty simple for men; pants and some kind of shirt will suffice for the vast majority of occasions. He’s sure something is clean. He looks puzzled when you mention the idea of color clashing (What does that even mean?!).

6:45 PM; You: “Getting my groom on.” AYYY

You head to the bathroom to begin the process of getting ready. It’s actually one that you quite like, so you’re happy to spend some time going through the familiar motions of preparing yourself for the world.

You shower. You moisturize. You brush leave-in conditioner through your hair. You wrap your hair in a towel (which you boyfriend proclaims to be “witchcraft, when it’s really just strategically placed tucks and folds). You’re ready for phase two.

7 PM; BF: “Oh, I guess I should shower, as well, shouldn’t I?”

Reminded only by the fact that you’ve showered, he hops into the bathroom himself and does his routine. It’s a bit shorter than yours; shower, shave, a little bit of manscaping, aftershave, and then he’s good to go. He heads to get dressed.

7 PM -7.30; You: “Primer, foundation, concealer, eyeshadow…”

You know the motions of getting ready by now and the routine is smooth and simple. It takes a while – don’t worry, even women with the steadiest of hands aren’t able to apply eyeliner flawlessly on the first attempt – but you know that you’ve got time. With your makeup done, all you need to do is put your pre-chosen outfit on and do your hair. Job done. Well, nearly.

7:30 PM; BF: “I really did think I had something clean…”

After a panicked look through his entire wardrobe, he finally alights on an outfit that looks presentable. He’s ready.

7:45 PM; You: “Are you sure this looks okay?”

Still preening in the mirror, you’ve suddenly taken wildly against the outfit that you selected less than two hours prior. (It happens to the best of us.)

7:50 PM; BF: “Yes it’s fine. You look fine. Great. Can we go?”

8 PM; Both Of You: Finally ready, you head out of the door for your night out. You might have taken different routes to get to this point, but you got there in the end and that’s all that matters!

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Looking good feeling great.

Everyone has a different getting ready routine and as long as you get from Point A to Point B on time, you can’t really complain about your SO’s totally annoying pre date night process! 😉

Jul10

5 Tips For When You’re Worried a Friend Has a Mental Illness

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5 Tips For When You’re Worried a Friend Has a Mental Illness

It is, unfortunately, just a fact of life that so many people are suffering from mental conditions. These problems can affect people from all backgrounds and demographics. You really can’t know who is suffering and who’s not just by looking at what they have or how much money they earn. If Prince Harry of England can suffer from mental health issues, then anybody can. When it’s your close friend or partner, sudden changes in their mood and outlook on life can be glaringly obvious to you. Here are five tips for handling that situation, should it arise (we hope it doesn’t!):

Talk It Out:

People have a hard time opening up about mental health problems, which is one of the problems in the first place! So it’s unlikely that your friend is just going to spill every single detail about what’s going on inside their mind, especially if they like to put on a front that everything is all good. If you suspect that something’s up, have a conversation with them. A real one. They might just have a small issue that they just need someone to listen to. If it’s more serious than that, then you can take it further. For example, a major cause of mental illness is childhood abuse. If this is something that your loved one confided in you, you might want to read this helpful article about Understanding Childhood Abuse and Mental Health so you can be a better support system.

Give Positive Energy:

If a friend is suffering from something that’s not nice to deal with, then they will obviously be in a dark place. While it’s not easy to be your bright and cheerful self around someone incapable of matching your enthusiasm, it’s important that you bring all of the positive energy you can muster when you’re around them. This doesn’t mean being loud and suggesting a wacky adventure every time you’re with them; it means being calm, thoughtful, positive, and suggesting activities that might boost their mood. It won’t be easy, so patience is definitely a virtue.

Encourage Them To Get Help:

Sometimes, a friend will be suffering from problems much more threatening than mild depression, for instance. It might be that they need to get professional help. Unfortunately, they might not go down this path if they haven’t accepted that anything’s wrong. When that happens, help them see for themselves that something isn’t right. If you suspect your friend is suffering from schizophrenia, have them take a self-screening test from schizlife.com here. When they don’t feel attacked and can be honest with themselves, they might be more willing to seek professional help for their problems.

If your friend is willing to accept help, that is wonderful and you could offer your support for finding treatment options. A facility like Alta Loma mental health treatment (or a similar center in your local area), for example, offers both short and long term care for disorders like bipolar, personality disorder, and psychosis. Encourage your friend to look into different options because it’s so important that they find the best fit especially if they are ambivalent.

Don’t Get Too Close:

While it’s important that you do everything that you can to make sure your friend is okay, you should avoid getting too close to the situation. This is especially relevant if the friend is your boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s important that you keep a healthy distance, for their sake as well as your own, as sometimes your own mental health can suffer when looking after their other half. Make sure that you take care of you, too.

You’re There For Them:

Above all, make sure they know that you’ll always be there for them. Some people’s conditions flare up, and they need to know someone is there for emotional support. If you let them know that you are available, night or day, then they’ll have an extra dose of comfort knowing that they’re not alone in the world.

Mental health issues can be scary, and as a friend or partner it is your duty to show support to a loved one who is struggling. Life is not always sunshine and rainbows, but you can definitely try and help it to be!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul10

Does It Feel Like You’re Running In Place With Your Workout?

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Does It Feel Like You’re Running In Place With Your Workout?

There are a lot of reasons why people end up abandoning their pursuit of physical fitness, leaving rowing machines to collect dust and gym memberships to go unused. Sure, it’s easy to say that the only real reason is laziness, but it’s actually a lot more complicated than that. In reality, the thing that causes a lot of people to give up is the feeling that they’re not really getting anywhere. They feel like, no matter how much effort they put in, they just don’t see any results. This can be incredibly demoralizing as it makes them feel like they’re wasting their time and giving blood, sweat, and tears for nothing. Sure, the results of exercise take time to manifest themselves, but that doesn’t mean that you should put up with months of seeing nothing changing in your body. With that in mind, here are a few ways to get the most out of your workout and to start seeing real results:

Have Clear Goals:

One of the biggest mistakes that people tend to make when they start working out is that they have incredibly poorly defined goals. They go in with things like “lose weight” or “get fitter”. Sure, these things are positive and should be a goal in mind, but if you’re only thinking about things in the vaguest possible terms, then you’re never going to be able to really push towards anything. All you’ll be able to see is that you haven’t lost as much weight as you would like and you’ll end up getting discouraged. Instead, think about exactly how much weight you want to lose. That way, even if you’re only losing a little bit at a time, all of it is chipping away at that goal bit by bit, making it much easier to stay committed.

Pick The Right Routine:

Of course, not every workout is going to be perfect for every goal. If you’re trying to bulk up and build muscle, then that’s not going to require the same kind of workout as someone who’s trying to slim down and drop a dress size. The workout plan and schedule reviewed here is perfect if you’re looking to lose a bit of weight and tone your body. However, it’s not necessarily going to be right for someone who’s trying to lose weight for health reasons. By knowing what you want, you’re going to be in a much better position to find the workout routine that’s going to help you do just that.

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WERK

Keep Things Interesting:

One other major factor that causes a lot of people to give up on their workout plan is boredom. The last thing that you want is to end up getting bored of your workout and walking away before you see any real results. In order to prevent that from happening, mix things up from time to time. Sure, you’re going to want to stick to the same kinds of exercise, but there are plenty of ways to change it up within those constraints. Instead of the treadmill, hit the rowing machine for your cardio. Perhaps switch the free weights for the bench when building muscle. That way, you’re going to avoid getting bored while introducing a new workout AND working towards your goal. It’s a win/win!

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Switching things up!

Although working out can be a pain, it should ultimately be enjoyable. These tips should get you right back into the swing of things in no time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul10

Monday Update: PLEASE LIKE ME Edition

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Monday Update: PLEASE LIKE ME Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday!! I hope that all of you had a fabulous and fun weekend. A somewhat well known Lil Red Fun Fact is that I have a straight up drug dealer phone. I have an old school, slide up, keyboard trap phone and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Seriously, the day that they quit making “normal” phones, all of you can call me on the landline.

Because of this (I think) charming quirk of mine, Facebook is really the only social media that I use. Instagram and Twitter seem to be such smartphone “on the go” mediums that I never really bothered with them. Lol, because let’s be real – NO ONE logs on to their laptop to use Twitter or Instagram. They just don’t. So, long story short, I put a lot of time into making my personal Facebook page and my page for lifewithlilred as accessible as possible because you’re never going to find me on SnapChat, Twitter, etc.

Although my blog FB page isn’t everything that I would like it to be yet, it would still mean a lot if you could mozey on over and give my page a like! I’ve been stuck in the four hundreds for a lifetime now and, needless to say, I’m over it. The links for my personal and blog FB page are as follows:

So, yeah. A like on my blog page would be awesome, but all of you are also more than welcome to follow me on my personal page if you can’t get enough Lil Red! And, of course, leave me a comment if you liked my page so I can return the favor and follow your blog! THANKS!!!!! Much love. -Sarah

Jul9

New Black & Red Nails

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New Black & Red Nails

Hi everyone and happy Sunday!! This past Thursday I treated myself to a princess afternoon of getting my nails filled and indulging in HELLA Taco Bell afterwards. To make the outing even better, my beloved ex nail tech, VINNY, was helping out at the salon in my current nail tech, STEVE’S, absence. It was just like old times, and my nails turned out completely gorgeous as per ushe! Take a look and let’s discuss:

neww

No matter who does my nails between Steve or Vinny, they always turn out magnificent. It always seems that my talons do the talking no matter where I go. I have to admit that it does get a bit annoying being literally constantly asked how I do anything with my claws, but I guess that’s just a small price to pay for my favorite accessory. I will say that just because someone can’t imagine their life with something, whether it be long nails, piercings, tattoos, out there hair, etc. doesn’t mean that that goes for everyone else. I couldn’t imagine my life without any of the above examples and I’m willing to broadcast that to anyone who questions it – which I encounter at least twice daily!!

What color do you have on your nails right now? What is something that makes you unique that people question? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah