Feb25

Almost There!

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Almost There!

Howdy! As you guys know, I’m itching to get to the 5,000 friend mark on Facebook. Thanks to all of your help, I only need: 133 more friend requests!!!! I am so close I can taste it so I’m sending out the Lil Red signal again for friend requests since I’m in the home stretch! Here are the links to my pages:

Any friend requests, likes on my page for lifewithlilred, or BOTH would be so greatly appreciated! While you’re on my personal Facebook page, please make sure you give the articles that I post a click because it helps me get paid! And as always, if you’re interested in signing up for Twistfire Media so you can get paid to use social media, you can email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com!

ONE MORE THING:

I know that I have some Seinfeld fans on here so I need your help! My film professor and I both share an undying love for the greatest sitcom ever created and he emailed me today with a survey that he made. The survey asks you to pick which one of Jerry’s girlfriends is your favorite and it literally takes ten seconds. To take the survey, click here! My favorite is Jane from “The Stall”. I don’t have a square to spare. I can’t spare a square…

Thank you guys all so much from the bottom of my little black heart for all of your help and support! It does not go unrecognized and it means so much to me!! Who did you pick as your favorite girlfriend in the survey? How many Facebook friends do you have? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

John Patrick Halling

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John Patrick Halling

Hellooo everyone and welcome to a very special article on lifewithlilred about an extremely talented artist that I had the pleasure of getting to know, Kent, Ohio blues musician, John Patrick Halling. I was lucky enough to sit down for a chat with John Patrick about his most recent tour, his performance style, and some of the corniest jokes you’ll ever hear in your life.

Those who frequent my page will know that I have literally no talent for music. I can’t sing, I can’t play any instruments other than three songs on the guitar, and I also have cried during every concert I’ve ever attended – but that’s neither here nor there. What I’m getting at is that I LOVE talking with musicians because they are skilled at something that I wish I could do. John Patrick was no exception. He was humble and genuine with the quick wit of a seasoned performer. Take a look at part of the interview conducted by yours truly and listen along to the songs we discuss on his website.

Our chat began with some rapid fire questions about John’s most recent two month musical excursion, his Boy in the Water US tour, so let’s get to it:

  • Lil Red: What was your favorite place you traveled to?
  • John Patrick Halling: Well I’m from Kansas City, so playing there was a lot of fun. I loved Asheville, North Carolina which was a cool little hippie city, and Boulder, Colorado too.
  • LR: What was your favorite tourist activity you did?
  • JPH: I liked trying all of the different foods and craft beers, sight seeing, and hiking! I hiked ten to twelve national parks. For two weeks of my travels I hiked from Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon.
  • LR: Favorite restaurant?
  • JPH: Oh, what was it’s name? The Mellow Mushroom. It was in the south. It was wood fired pizzas, there was a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, and a bunch of stuff on the walls…Not in the TGIFridays or Applebee’s way, in the cool way. The Mexican food in New Mexico and Arizona was also out of this world. (So jealous, mama loves Mexican food!)
  • LR: Favorite venue?
  • JPH: It was called the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, West Virginia. This place was cool because it had a hostel built into the venue where the performers could stay as well as a crowd that was pretty much built in too from all of the tourists and locals.
  • LR: Where would you like to go again?
  • JPH: Everywhere! Wyoming was beautiful and it was filled with the nicest people – they were exactly how you would picture people from Wyoming to be, in the best way possible. I am bummed that I didn’t make it out west, though.
  • LR: How many shows did you play?
  • JPH: Around thirty…I played to a few empty coffee shops. I also performed at open mics and found a few good places on the streets where I would set up shop and play. Pearl Street in Boulder was great for that and so was San Antonio and Asheville.
  • LR: How many miles did you travel?
  • JPH: I traveled 12,000 miles in two months. But 2,000 of those miles was probably me driving around not knowing where I was going. My GPS system broke down halfway through the trip so I had to buy a road map, which was actually hard to find. I had to map out my routes and rough it and if all else failed, I still had my phone! Being on the road is a glamorous thing.

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^^^ Pictured above: John striking a pose in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming as well as a scenic pic he snapped while driving into Kansas City.

After having a spitfire session about the Boy in the Water tour, John and I moved on to discussing his music, his style, and his future plans for his career. Please don’t think that I use the word spitfire lightly, either. All of the questions above were asked and answered in a little over five minutes. Everyone tells me that I’m a very fast talker and I met my match with John Patrick! Turn his music up and let’s move on:

  • LR: Where did the title for your album Boy in the Water come from? Are you part merman?
  • JPH: Well now the secrets out! I tried a lot of different titles but they were all basic and boring. My cousins and I are big fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and in one of the opening scenes Elizabeth is standing on a boat and she sees Will Turner flailing in the ocean and she says “there’s a boy in the water”. So the album title is a tip of my cap to my family as well as whatever metaphorical symbolism it might mean.
  • LR: What was the first song you learned on the guitar?
  • JPH: “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream and some Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. Since we’re sitting in a Starbucks, I like my coffee how I like my Eric Clapton greatest hits albums, with a little bit of Cream in it!
  • LR: I was a fan of your Hawthorne Heights reference in “If I Would’ve Known”, who are some of your musical influences?
  • JPH: Everything. Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Hendrix. I grew up on 90’s country. I had a Rasta phase in high school where I listened to a lot of Bob Marley. I had my punk phase where I played a bunch of Blink, Simple Plan, and Green Day.
  • LR: Your lyrics are very poetic, have you always liked to write or was that a talent you didn’t know you had?
  • JPH: A little bit of both. I loved history and English classes which involved a lot of writing. I was also always a performer because I’m the middle child who was always striving for attention! I was very into theater in high school and played in quite a few different bands so I think all of these things helped develop my writing style.
  • LR: I thought it was interesting how in “Siren Song” you portrayed the devil as a woman. Is that based on a particular situation?
  • JPH: Kind of, but it also goes back to mythology in general when mermaids would sing their siren songs to tempt men. Women have always been men’s number one vice, asides from beer and cigarettes. But I also feel like I lose myself in relationships very easily. I try to change myself for the person and make myself into what they want me to be instead of finding someone who accepts me for my vices…If that makes sense.
  • LR: It makes perfect sense. Because I have a lot of fashion bloggers tuning in, how would you describe your look when you’re playing a show?
  • JPH: I wear whatever doesn’t smell. No, I’m a big hat guy, I have three or four wide brimmed Brixtons and Stetsons that I love. I also wear a lot of boots. You’ll never see me in shorts though, I’m always in jeans…I woke up like this.
  • LR: You should be a comedian if your music career falls through.
  • JPH: I actually love telling jokes on stage. Why does Peter Pan always fly? Because he never lands. That joke never gets old. It’s got a good hook to it.
  • LR: So where do you see John Patrick Halling one year from now?
  • JPH: Hopefully on the road again. I’d like to start recording a new album in January or February and be out on another tour by August. I have about ten to fifteen songs to narrow down so I’m still deciding on if it will be an album or an EP.
  • LR: And finally, does the drinking ever end in downtown Kent?
  • JPH: Not when you’re drinking with your friends!

jph44 jph55

^^^ Pictured above: Sporting a signature hat in Asheville, North Carolina and a view of the picturesque Arches National Park in Utah. (Can we just talk about how the sky in both pictures looks like something out of a story book? So amazing.)

Are you a fan of John Patrick Halling? You can reach out to him by:

  • Liking his page on Facebook
  • Following him on Twitter
  • Following him on Instagram
  • Emailing him at: johnpatrickhalling@yahoo.com

You can also listen to the album Boy in the Water on all of the following mediums:

I really can’t begin to tell you guys how much I enjoyed my time with the fantastic John Patrick Halling. The pleasure was truly all mine and I can’t wait to see him perform in the near future! Do you have any questions for John Patrick? What is your favorite song off of his album Boy in the Water? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

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Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review

Hii everyone and happy Hump Day! Way back in November, I ran out of whatever moisturizer that I was using and needed a new one ASAP. I wasn’t really interested in going to the store to buy a new one so I raided my bathroom cabinets for any extra moisturizers my mom or I might have stored. I ended up finding a half used bottle of Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture and figured that I would finish the bottle. I kid you not, I’m still using the half used bottle almost five months later so I felt the need to write a review on the product that I feel like I’m never going to finish! Let’s discuss:

neutrogena

I have always been a fan of Neutrogena products. I can remember being a little girl and seeing all of my grandma’s Neutrogena cleansers and creams in her cabinets. It’s a brand that has been around in my family for forever so when I found the Oil-Free moisturizer in my bathroom, I had no problem giving it a go. Just from looking at the packaging, I liked that it had a SPF of 15 because I rarely use creams with SPF in it. I also liked that it was obviously Oil-Free because I despise products that have a greasy or oily texture.

As always, the first thing that I did after examining the bottle was the smell test. I was a bit worried about what it would smell like because most SPF products smell like you’re lathering yourself up for a day at the beach. The moisturizer definitely had that unmistakable sun block scent but it was very light so I didn’t really mind it. Had it been extremely potent, I don’t think that I could handle it. I’m really sensitive to smells that I don’t care for so having a product sitting on my face with a fragrance that I hated would be torture!

Once the moisturizer passed the smell test, I pumped it into my hands to give it a try. The consistency was very light which is a must for me because I like fast absorbing products that don’t feel heavy or overpowering. I rubbed my hands together and then applied the cream to my face and it felt really nice! Within the time that I put on the moisturizer and got my skin treatment pumped into my hands, the cream was already absorbed so that was a major, major plus.

The best thing about Neutrogena’s moisturizer, though? The fact that a random half a bottle has kept my skin hydrated for nearly five months. I genuinely don’t understand how that happened but I am SO not complaining about it! It’s not like I use a huge amount of the product every day (I use six pumps) but still, I can’t believe that I still had some left to apply this morning. I’ll take it!

All in all, I’m going to rate Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Moisture with: four stars. For excellent value and an overall solid product. My one complaint about this moisturizer would be that it’s almost too light – especially in the winter months. A light as a feather moisturizer is a must for me but on the days when it was particularly frigid, my skin felt like it needed something extra. I wouldn’t recommend this product for people with really dry skin because I just don’t think that it would cut it.

So there you have it, my Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Review! What moisturizer are you currently using? How long does it usually take you to finish a cream or a cleanser? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb23

Delicious Baked Ziti Recipe

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Delicious Baked Ziti Recipe

Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! So in yesterday’s Monday Update I mentioned that I made my boyfriend a baked ziti dish for our six month anniversary. It turned out amazing and my beau and family really enjoyed it. The recipe I found on allrecipes was way too good not to share so I thought that I would post it for your super cheesy pleasure today! You’re welcome! 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked
  • 1 (26) oz jar marinara sauce (Instead of plain old Ragu, I used a specialty sauce with extra garlic and herb flavoring to kick things up a little)
  • 1 (14.5) oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a can that had additional oregano and Italian herb seasoning)
  • 6 oz cream cheese, cubed (The blocked cream cheese usually comes in 8 oz packaging so I just used the whole thing)
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients That I Added:

  • 8 cloves garlic
  • salt
  • pepper
  • basil
  • parsley
  • oregano
  • Italian seasoning

Ingredients I Will Use Next Time:

  • More seasoning
  • Onions
  • Green pepper
  • Zuchinni
  • Yellow squash

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cook pasta, using the directions on the packaging. Once the pasta is done cooking, remove and drain.
  3. After you have removed the pasta, turn the burner down to medium heat. Add the rest of your ingredients in the pan and let it cook for about 5 min. or until the cheese is completely melted.
  4. Add the pasta into the sauce and mix thoroughly.
  5. Layer the pasta into a 13×9 in. baking pan and then top with extra mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 20 min. or until heated through.

*** A word to the wise: This recipe made a GIGANTIC amount of food so be prepared for left overs! Here is the link to the recipe that I used, if you would like to reference it for any reason! Special thanks to whomever posted it, it was delicious! 🙂

The baked ziti was a hit for my family and my boyfriend so I hope all of you enjoy it as much as we did! What is your favorite food to make? What is your favorite food to eat? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb22

Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition

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Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition

Hey everyone and welcome to a new week here on lifewithlilred! On Saturday it was me and Kyle’s six month anniversary so we had a lovely day together to celebrate! We had the best time during our date day and I can’t wait to relive it as I type this out. But before I get started on how we spent our six month, here’s a friendly reminder of how cute we are:

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^^^ What a stud! The red head isn’t too bad either…

Kyle picked me up around two o’clock on Saturday afternoon to get our festivities started. We live about a half hour away from each other so during our drive back to his place we made a game plan for how we would like to spend the day. We decided on afternoon drinks while video gaming or watching Netflix, dinner, and then a night out at the movies to wrap it up!

 To start the afternoon drinks portion of our agenda, Kyle and I stopped at the Giant Eagle on the way home for some booze. I got Kyle a drink shaker as one of his Valentine’s Day gifts so we thought it would be fun to put it to use today. We had a bit of a hard time deciding on a drink that we could make because the only hard liquor that I really “do” is vodka, which Kyle isn’t a huge fan of. However, a bottle of sour berry and lemon vodka spoke to me and Kyle thought it sounded alright so we went for it. We then got some fruit punch and lemonade to mix with it as well as a back up pack of hard apple cider in case our concoction was sub par.

With our alcohol haul bagged up and ready to go, we headed back to Kyle’s house to have some quality time with the TV. But before we started our session of “Netflix and chill” we had a drink to make! Kyle broke out his new shaker (which he loved) and mixed up our berry beverage. It wasn’t bad except for the fact that the vodka was blue, the lemonade was a pale yellow, and the fruit punch was a raspberry red so when it was all mixed together it made the most disgusting dish water grey color. The drink tasted like a liquefied version of SweetTarts but it definitely tasted better if you avoided looking at the color of it. -_-

Once our drinks were made, we began our marathon of Wentworth, our latest TV obsession. When Kyle and I binge watch shows, we are SO serious about it. If we can’t knock out at least two episodes of it at once, we don’t even bother putting it on to begin with. This high focused level of Netflix watching calls for comfortable clothes so it was a must to change into our pajamas until our evening out at the movies. Kyle and I knocked out two episodes of Wentworth, at least ten games of Super Smash Bros., and a rousing tournament of Mario Kart Double Dash before we decided we were hungry.

Lucky for us, I prepared dinner for the occasion the previous day so all we had to do was let it heat in the oven. I love cooking for Kyle so I wanted to make a special dinner for him so that we didn’t have to bother dining out. I made a super cheesy dish of baked ziti, a pan of ficaccia bread, and cupcakes for dessert. At my house we have never really had ziti so I was a bit wary of how it would turn out. I also have never made ficaccia without my mom’s help so I was relived that they both turned out great! Kyle loved it and so did my family who I test drove the meal for when I prepared it at home. The ziti was rich, the bread was baked to a perfect crisp, and the cupcakes were so decadent so needless to say, we were stuffed silly!

After dinner we had an hour or so to kill before it was time for our movie so we knocked out another episode of Wentworth before we left. I told Kyle a few days ago that I wanted to see the latest horror flick that came out, The Witch. We rarely go to the movies so I thought it would be a good way to wrap up our anniversary day. There’s a theater that Kyle lives by called TinselTown and it’s the biggest movie theater I’ve ever seen so I was really excited when he picked out a movie time for that location!

Our show started at 7:40 and we made it in time to examine all of the movie posters that are hanging up in the hallways to promote upcoming films. I had a minor freak out when I saw that a new movie for The Little Prince (my favorite book) is coming out in March! After I calmed down, we got settled in the theater to wait for the movie to start. I had heard excellent reviews for The Witch and I love horror films so I was eager for the movie to begin.

But unfortunately…The Witch really missed the mark for basically everyone in the theater. I personally didn’t mind it too much because it was more of a period piece and very artistic but Kyle didn’t care for it at all. It was one of those movies that we were probably better off waiting for to come out on DVD but it was still fun to go! I felt bad that Kyle didn’t like it but I still enjoyed the flick well enough because I’m a big wierdo. 🙂

By the time we got home it was around ten o’clock and we were both exhausted so we popped in a movie and went to bed. Kyle and I had such a wonderful time celebrating our day together, despite the fact that he didn’t care too much for the movie! I’m so lucky to have had the best boyfriend on the planet for six whole months and I can’t wait for many more! I love you, Kyle Kyle! ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Six Month Anniversary Edition! I hope all of you had just as great of a weekend as I did! What was your favorite part of your weekend? What did you think of The Witch if you saw it? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

Hello, It’s Me!

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Hello, It’s Me!

Hey there everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I’ve noticed that I haven’t put up a whole lot of pictures of me on the ol’ blog lately. To remedy that, I had my dad break out his prized camera and snap some pictures of me during this past week. We shot some pictures outside and as you can see, Ohio got quite a bit of snow! (So much so that I was snowed in at home for an afternoon!) We also took some pics on our cool, color blocked hallway for your viewing pleasure. Take a look:

^^^ Thanks, dad! ❤

What I Wore:

  • Featured Image Jacket: This was one of my Christmas gifts, compliments of Target. You can read all about it in my post, New Coat Heaven.
  • Killin’ It Hoodie: My hoodie dress is one of my all time favorite Forever 21 finds which you can read about in my Monday Update: Forever 21 Haul Edition.
  • Black Skinnies: I got these from Express about a year or so ago. They used to have the coolest snakeskin pattern printed on them but unfortunately it faded away after over a year of washing. -_-
  • Zipper Front Heels: These babies are one of my steals that I got from Kohl’s a while back ago which you can read about in, If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 Edition.
  • Teal Fingerless Gloves: My glovies are one of my favorite accessories that I own. My mom got these for me from TJMaxx when I was in high school. It was on a day that I didn’t feel like going to school so we went shopping instead! I love them just as much now as I did when I first got them.

It was so nice to be able to spend the afternoon being photographed by my dear old dad. He definitely shot some winners and it was a great way to spend time together! How has everyone’s weekend been? What kind of weather are you having in your neck of the woods right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb20

What’s In My Bag?

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What’s In My Bag?

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I’ve been meaning to do a What’s In My Bag? post for the longest time – they seem like so much fun to do! I was switching what purse I was using anyways so I figured that I might as well snap some pics of the innards of my bag as I do so. (Remind me never to say the word innards again.) I decided to break out my beautiful Betsey Johnson telephone purse to tote around so take a look at what lies inside:

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The Purse: When I saw this darling Betsey Johnson stunner at Macy’s, I knew that I had to have it. I love all things Betsey and this little baby is no exception. My parents got it for me as a gift for my 21st birthday and I’m so obsessed…And yes, the telephone handle really does work! You can plug it into your iPhone and chat away! So cute.

The Contents:

  • Mustard Yellow Wallet: This was a find from Target and I always manage to get compliments on it. I’ve had my wallet for about three years now and it still looks great – I wish it were a little fuller though! 😉
  • Sequin Coin Purse: I got my little coin purse as a present for being a Victoria’s Secret Angel Card member. My mom, sister, and I spent our way to their credit card with the best rewards and this purse was one of them. I think it’s too cute! I was going to put it in my stockpile of freebies to gift to someone but I liked it so much that I kept it for myself.
  • Marlboro Smooths: Yes, I smoke. Whoops!
  • Car Keys: The keys to unlock my beloved Little Red Love Machine AKA my 2012 Mazda2 hatchback. My favorite keychain on there is of Despicable Me’s Agnes and her unicorn which my sister got for me at Universal Studios! We match because she got one for herself, too. 🙂
  • Envelope Makeup Bag: My sister gets a monthly beauty bag from Ipsy and her February goodies came in this precious purse. Obviously, she gave it to me and I adore it. Plus, it matches my Betsey bag perfectly! All of the next items listed are stored in my Ipsy bag.
  • Four Lighters: Yes, I’m a lighter hoarder. Whoops!
  • Five Chapsticks: I also appear to be a chapstick hoarder, as well…
  • Tide To Go Pen: This thing is a life saver! It has saved me from the grief of coffee, pop, and food stains when I’m on the go.
  • Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer: I got my Apple Harvest sanitizer as one of my B&BW freebies. It’s nice to have when there isn’t a way to wash your hands close by. I wish I would have gotten it in a different scent, though, because the smell is way too strong.
  • Plastic Heart (on top of the lighters): I sort of kind of snagged this from a restaurant that my boyfriend and I ate at recently. The candle holders on the table were filled with them and I couldn’t stop myself from stealthily dropping one into my purse!

*** Fun Fact: My purse wouldn’t stay standing up in the picture above so I put one of my Minnetonka moccasins in it to weigh it down! #clever

Ahhh! This was so much fun! It made me feel like one of the celebrities who empties out their purses contents for People magazine. You guys found out What’s In My Bag and now I want to hear about what’s in yours! What is one of your must have products when you’re on the go? What is something unusual that you carry in your purse? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb19

Hi! My Name Is…

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Hi! My Name Is…

Hiii everyone and TGIF! Okay, so if you read one of my previous posts, It’s A Boy!, you’ll know that my family recently just adopted a new sweet addition to our home. We finally have decided on a name for our little pup…and “Ollie” stuck! From the very beginning, my mom and I were very pro Ollie but my dad unfortunately was not on board. BUT after almost an entire week of my mom and I calling him Ollie, my dad finally came around! Is he happy about it? I don’t know. But I knew my mom and I had this small victory in the bag when I heard my dad calling him Ollie last night! Score!

My dad snapped some pictures of our little peanut bear and his Golden Retriever big sister, Gem, yesterday so take a look at our dog children:

^^^ Lol, that second picture kills me! #selfie

We are so happy to have our Ollie Bear and Gem and we are extremely thankful to the rescue group, Canine Lifeline, for helping to make them part of the Mushenheim family! Be sure to check out their website and give their Facebook page a like as well! 🙂

Oh, by the way, Ollie says “thank you” to everyone for all of the sweet compliments on my previous post about him! He was so flattered! Happy Friday! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

Why Can’t We Be (Facebook) Friends?

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Why Can’t We Be (Facebook) Friends?

Hiiii guys! I hope you’re all having a stellar Thursday! I’m just gonna go right out and say it…I need your help!! I am about 200 friends away from reaching the 5,000 friend limit on Facebook and I really wanna get there! I love interacting with all of you so much on lifewithlilred so let’s take these friendships a little bit further and make it Facebook official! 😉

You can shoot me a friend request at my personal Facebook page and a like on my page for lifewithlilred wouldn’t hurt either! While you’re browsing through my Facebook please make sure you view the ads that I have posted for Twistfire Media because they’re fun AND it helps me get paid! If you’re interested in signing up for Twistfire, you can always shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! Thanks everyone! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

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I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! In my neck of the woods, there’s a discount store called Marc’s that’s seriously the best. They have the most fantastic closeout products ever and their prices certainly won’t break your bank. When my mom does her weekly grocery shopping there, she’ll sometimes surprise me with a beauty treat from the closeout section. A couple of months ago she brought me home an exfoliating shower gel from the brand I Love… I finally got around to using it and finished the gel yesterday so take a look at the pretty in pink packaging and then let’s discuss:

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Those who have read my product reviews before will know that for me to like a gel, cleanser, or what have you – it has to smell good! Usually I’m not the biggest fan of strawberry fragrances because it’s too sweet but I actually quite liked the scent of the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel. What was nice about the aroma of the gel was that it wasn’t a straight up strawberry scent. The “milkshake” essence of the gel dulled down what would be a potent strawberry fragrance with the luxurious scent of rich, freshly churned cream. The result of this combination was true to the product’s namesake…It really did smell like a frothy strawberry milkshake!

When it comes to cleansers and shower gels, another must for me is that it lathers well. This is where I Love’s… exfoliating body wash fell short. The texture of the product was one that I thought would bubble nicely – it was rich and creamy. It also had what appeared to be strawberry seeds thrown in for good measure. Despite having a texture that I usually would love, the lather that this gel created was minimal, at best. I really don’t like that. I love seeing big, soapy bubbles when I’m showering. It enhances my morning hygiene experience and most importantly, it makes me feel clean!

I’m going to chalk the lack of lather up to the fact that this gel tried to do a two for one by combining an exfoliant with a gel. Frankly, I think this product would have been a better exfoliater than a body wash. On the rare occasions that I do use an exfoliater on my body, I prefer for it to be cream rather than gel based. Products that are strictly gel based dehydrate my body to the extreme. The Body Shop has a strawberry seed exfoliater that’s a gel and I honestly think that if I Love’s… body wash was just an exfoliater, I would prefer it over TBS. (For a product to trump The Body Shop usually never happens for me!)

Although this product wasn’t the best body wash, per se, it still has a lot of potential and I really do like the I Love… brand. I’m going to rate the I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake shower gel with three stars. My mom paid a whole two dollars for this body wash (granted, it was a closeout) and I think that it was a solid product, especially for what she paid! I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy the shower gel again but I wouldn’t say “no” to using it if the opportunity came about!

So there you have it, my I Love…Strawberries & Milkshake Shower Gel Review! My mom scored some of the brand’s lotion at the Marc’s closeout recently so I look forward to giving that a shot soon! Is there a discount store in your area that you like to shop at? What is your favorite body wash fragrance? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah