Feb28

Simple Stripes OOTD

Posted on February 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! The weather in Akron, Ohio has been fluctuating back and forth faster than I can keep track of it. We go from thirty to fifty-five degrees in a day and I think it has been throwing everyone for a loop! With constantly changing temps, it really can be difficult to dress for this time of year. One day you’re bundled up and the next it feels like spring. Whatever the weather, I put together a Simple Stripes OOTD that is perfect for a warmer day, but can easily be worn underneath your favorite jacket during a cold spell. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Top: Modern Works, TJMaxx

High Waisted Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Pattern Boots: Vince Camuto, TJMaxx

I have no idea where the owl earrings are from lol

Earlier this month, I had a very successful shopping trip to TJMaxx with my mom. We had a blast and I have been so excited to wear all of my new clothes, including the striped top by Modern Works. Although this shirt isn’t as bold as some of my usual choices, I was immediately drawn to it. I loved the black stripes against the pearl white base, the shape is universally flattering, and it is SO freaking soft and comfortable. This is a top that can be worn as is when the weather permits or underneath a cozy jacket or cardigan when you need some extra warmth. It’s such a versatile piece and can be dressed up with a great pair of trousers or an A-line skirt for work or paired with jeans for an on the go ensemble.

As you can see for this weekend look, I went the play route and paired my Modern Works top with a pair of high waisted skinny jeans. I actually completely forgot my go to pair of skinnies from American Eagle were high waisted until this past Saturday lol. I tucked my top in slightly and was amazed by the revelation! I am normally not one for high waisted bottoms but, in this case, they made the look even better. It added that little extra something to the outfit and and it made such a classic silhouette, ideal for a classic, statement top.

Next on the agenda was shoes and accessories. Since I was working with a fully neutral palette, it basically gave me permission to wear whatever shoes I wanted. I chose a much beloved pair of Vince Camuto snakeskin pattern boots to help complete my look. The colors in these boots are so rich and I thought the cinnamon and chocolate hues looked stunning paired with the soft shade of the top. Finally, for earrings, I put on a pretty pair of gold and cream colored owls. This was all I needed to add some length to my neck as anything extra would have taken away from the minimal V-neck the top offered. With that, I was on my way!

I felt so chic in my Simple Stripes OOTD and this is an outfit that can be very easily replicated. Sometimes, a simple look is the best and I think this OOTD is a definite testament to that!

What do you normally wear for work? What do you like to wear for an outfit for play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb27

Constellations Merch!!

Posted on February 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!!! I have been working as the social media manager for an awesome local metalcore band called Constellations. It is legit the most fun job I have ever had and it is so exciting to be a part of their continued growth. In case you aren’t following Constellations on social media (You should!), an amazing guitarist named Heather has joined my favorite ragtag group of gents. She is fantastic and it’s even better having her on board! We also just released… MERCH! The designs are made by our very own vocalist, Tre’, and he did a banner job. Sometimes he models too as you are about to see:

This past Friday, our online merch shop officially opened for business and it is yet another stepping stone that Constellations has completed in a short time. February 19th was the one month anniversary for the release of the band’s first single “RIP” and we can’t wait to start teasing new music soon! I also am looking forward to rocking some merch in a few brand new OOTDs on my end. 😀 To help support my sweet crew, you don’t have to buy anything from the shop (Even though it would be VERY NICE!). You can show them love on social media and, in turn, show your favorite Lil Red blogger some love too:

Facebook: ConstellationsBand

Instagram: @constellations330

X: @seeingstars330

TikTok: @constellationsband

YouTube: ConstellationsBand330

Spotify: Constellations

Shop merch here!

On behalf of Constellations and yours truly: Thank you! Some extra follows and likes might not seem like a big deal, but it means the world and galaxies to us. Stay tuned for more great successes from the band because I just know there are going to be a ton!

How do you support local artists? What is your favorite song by a local band? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb26

Proud Bunny Mom

Posted on February 26, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I have had our sweet bunnies, Melvin and Penelope, for a year and three months now. Life is so much better with these adorable, adventurous, mischievous gremlins by our sides and I am amazed at their progress since we first brought them home. Bunnies are timid animals and it took a decent amount of time for them to get acclimated to just Johnny and me petting them. Being held was also a massive no/no for them until just this week. In Penelope’s case, anyways lol:

Working up to holding my bunnies was a matter of trust. Despite the fact that I want to hold them all the time, I held off because I knew that’s not what they wanted and they weren’t ready for it. However, through recent events earlier in the week, I had a feeling the buns wouldn’t completely hate me for it. When I work from home, I am talking to the buns constantly and I try to use key phrases consistently for them to learn how to follow commands. For example, they both know their own name and turn themselves around when they are venturing into non bunny proofed areas.

This is always very impressive to me, but this week Mel and P blew my mind. About ten minutes before I leave for work, I let them know that it’s almost time to go back in their hutch and shortly after I herd them in. Their new trick is going back into their home without me having to get up. The first time it happened, I almost thought it was a fluke. They have been doing it every day since, though, and it is a true testament to how smart they both are.

Knowing that both bunnies have a firm understanding of my voice encouraged me to try picking them up. Johnny and I will hold them on occasion and we never attempt to move them if they are uncomfortable in the situation. This Wednesday, I was able to pick both bunnies up with no problem whatsoever. Melvin is a bit too young and rambunctious to want to be cuddled by his mom for longer than a few minutes. Penelope, on the other hand, was a totally different story. As soon as she was in my arms, she melted and it turns out my girl is a huge couch potato lol. She snuggled up on the couch with me like she belonged there this whole time. I was so proud of her and I knew that waiting until she was fully ready for snugs was one billion percent worth it. ❤

Being a bunny parent is all about being patient and this week of progress has shown that it pays off a thousandfold. Listen to your bunnies and pay attention during your interactions together, they will always tell you everything you need to know!

Do you have any pets? How has being patient helped you as a pet owner? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

Trader Joe’s Berry Lip Mask Review

Posted on February 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My family absolutely loves Trader Joe’s. Unfortunately, the nearest one to us is about a forty or so minute trek, making it a highly inconvenient place to go to do grocery shopping. Every once in a while, however, my parents will make the trip to TJs (Trader Joe’s, not TJMaxx for once!) and did so a few weeks ago. As a Valentine’s Day treat, my mom surprised my sister and me with a Berry scented lip mask from their skin care department. I have been using it since I got it and I love it so very, berry much! Check it out:

I love the idea of a lip mask, but have never found one that works just right for me. I have tested quite a few and they were mainly ineffective. The best one that I have probably used was one by Laneige that I got as a freebie from Sephora. Then, I realized it wasn’t cruelty free (I HATE when that happens) and pretty much gave up on my hunt for a good lip mask. I opted for Pacifica lip balms, instead, and although they are amazing throughout the day, it just isn’t the same as a lip mask at night.

Because of my lack of luck for a decent lip mask, I was a bit ambivalent about the one from Trader Joe’s. Then, I opened it up and realized that even if it sucked, it still smelled fabulous lol. This mask smells exactly like Raspberry LipSmackers and works so much better! A little dollop of this product to cover my lips is all I need and I have woken up every morning since with a pretty pout. Not only do my lips feel insanely moisturized, but I think they look somewhat fuller too. It is truly the cruelty free compromise to Laneige lip masks and I am thrilled with this Sweet Surprise from my mom! ❤

If you are lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s close to you, then I cannot recommend their lip mask enough. Who knew you could get such awesome skin care at a grocery store?!

What was your favorite LipSmacker scent? Have you found a lip mask that works for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Terrific Trench Coat OOTD Bloopers

Posted on February 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello darlings and welcome to the blooper reel from my Terrific Trench Coat OOTD! I had been looking forward to wearing my new Solitaire trench coat since I got it and finally got to break it out this past Saturday. Johnny and I enjoyed a very lazy three day weekend together and the only thing we did was get lunch with my sister and nieces. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Meson, and it was divine as always. There is nothing like having a go to restaurant that hits just right every time! Maybe it was a bad idea wearing a brand new coat for a lunch date with my two fave little ladies, but everything turned out A-okay! These pics, not so much? Check it out:

Here’s looking at you, kid

WTF is this face?! Yikes!

This one is only slightly better than the last smh!

Potentially the freaking WORST!

Looking like I just ate something incredibly sour

Serving straight SASS APPEAL look out!

Being around my nieces is such a blooper in and of itself. Raya is a year and a half old and Val will be turning five in March. They are at that age when literally everything they do and say is hilarious. The girls are nonstop energy and joy and I don’t think it’s humanly possible for them to sit still. In fact, with the cheerful music playing in the restaurant, Val just had to get up and dance and TT joined in for a twirl or two, or ten lol. Raya even did her best with a little side stepping action in that adorable way that only tiny walkers can. 😀

One of my fondest memories of Val is kind of a silly one. Two years ago when we took Kristen out for her birthday to Bomba (A new age Mexican eatery), our waitress approached the table. Before she had the chance to greet us, Val proudly proclaimed “Hi, I want cheese dip”. I was in stitches and also proud that she knew exactly what she wanted! Cheese dip is still a delicacy to Val Gal and we have to get some for her (And me to share!) whenever we go out to eat. This past time included. It’s nice to know that some things are never going to change no matter how old they get. ❤

A lunch date with all three of our best girls is just what Johnny and I needed. So glad I have my circle of people that I can depend on to always get Mexican food with me!

What is your favorite restaurant? Is your favorite food when you were little something that you still like now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb23

Lil Red’s Book Club: No One Can Know By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Posted on February 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Book Club: No One Can Know By Kate Alice Marshall Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today we are going to discuss a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called No One Can Know in a spoiler free setting. It has been a minute since I had the chance to read one of my beloved “LifeTime Movie” books, as Johnny likes to call them lol. Hey, he’s not wrong – the books I tend to like do read exactly like a LifeTime flick! No One Can Know was a recommendation from my big sis as we tend to both read the same things. She gave this book rave reviews, but it wasn’t my fave. Before we begin our review, I will be placing a trigger warning on No One Can Know for murder, child abuse, animal cruelty, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Emma Palmer and her husband, Nathan, are officially down on their luck. Nathan lost his job, meaning they can no longer afford the house they planned on purchasing. They have to vacate their current housing and to top it off, Emma is pregnant. With no family to turn to and no other options available, they end up in Emma’s childhood home which hasn’t been occupied in a long time. The only thing remaining there is the horrible memories that Emma endured throughout her life.

Emma and her two sisters, Juliette and Daphne, lived in a gorgeous mansion with their parents in their youth. They had everything and wanted for nothing. Well, except for normal, loving parents that is. Emma and her siblings were subjected to physical and verbal abuse from their mom and dad. Juliette, as the eldest, did what she could to appease her parents to avoid their beatings. Daphne, the baby, was her father’s favorite and didn’t get the worst of it. That was all left to the middle child, Emma, who refused to obey the rules. Rather, she laughed at them.

All of the girls had had enough of their parents. But, enough to kill them – who’s to say? One night, when the girls were “sleeping” in their tree house, Irene and Randolph Palmer were shot to death. Although she was never arrested, Emma was the prime candidate for the murders in the name of protecting her siblings. Unsurprisingly, Emma isn’t popular in her original neck of the woods and, although it is expected, it is a harsh reality to return to after all of these years with her husband.

As Nathan and Emma set up their new digs, they are treated to vandalism and a near obsession with the cop who tried to arrest Emma as a teenager. Instead of constantly running from her past, Emma decides to face it head on to try and find out what really happened the night of her parents’ murder. Her sisters have to know something but, then again, Emma wouldn’t know because they have been estranged for fourteen years. Until now. If Emma didn’t kill her parents and she believes her sisters didn’t either, then there is still a killer at large. Can Emma, Daphne, and Juliette solve the case? Or will Emma finally be behind bars for her parents’ murder? Read No One Can Know to find out!

Based on the synopsis, No One Can Know sounds exactly like a book that I would like. I thought it was well written and the ending was pretty good even though I figured it out almost immediately. My major qualm with this book was the characters because they were, truly, nothing to sneeze at. To me, a book just isn’t great if I can’t get behind the main character and that’s how I felt about Emma. During the entirety of reading this book, I wanted Emma to get that bite back that she had in her youth. Rather, she was vague, distant, and read as weak. There was nothing exciting about her and nothing particularly likeable about her either.

I think I would have liked this book more if any of the characters had any redeeming characteristics, but that wasn’t the case. Juliette came off as insanely arrogant and sneaky and Daphne was just all together off putting. And, don’t even get me started on Nathan because he actively sucked. Perhaps the only person likeable was Gabriel, Emma’s old high school crush, but he was so rarely in the book that it didn’t even matter. With this combination of one of the worst casts in a book I have read recently, it certainly dragged on and I was SO ready for it to be over.

I am going to rate No One Can Know with a three out of ten stars. I thought it to be lackluster, at best, and wouldn’t recommend it. Whomp, whomp.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb22

Terrific Trench Coat OOTD

Posted on February 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Thanks to a recent TJMaxx Haul, I got several gorgeous new pieces to freshen up my spring wardrobe. It’s amazing how just a few things can completely breathe new life into what you already have and I have been most inspired by my new goodies. You already saw an adorable V-Day button down featured in a look, but what I was most looking forward to was rocking my new trench coat by Solitaire. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Floral Trench Coat: Solitaire, TJMaxx

White Button Down: H&M

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Army Green Heeled Boots: BCBG, TJMaxx

*** The bumblebee earrings are from Target!

When I style outfits, I am normally building around one specific piece and that was the case with this OOTD. I find it is so much easier to create a look to compliment a staple item because it narrows down your options significantly. For this outfit, I had my new trench coat in mind and all that was left to do was build the remainder of the look. To start, I put on a stark white button down by H&M. I wasn’t too concerned about what I had on underneath because it was freaking freezing out so the coat was staying on. However, I wanted the top to pop despite this and the crisp white against the muted florals worked perfectly.

For jeans, I kept things simple with a pair of plain black skinnies. The coat already offered texture from the faux suede material and a pattern (Obvi!) so anything more on the bottom would look muddled. This is a good rule to follow to keep from a cluttered appearance. Although, let’s say that the coat was just the dusty pink with no pattern at all and the same material. Then, a patterned pant would be just right!

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories. I went with a pair of army green heeled combat boots by BCBG for this look. It gave me some much needed height since the coat was pretty lengthy in itself. And, of course, the color was similar enough to the patterns in the coat to give top to bottom cohesion. Jewelry was all that was left and I decided on a pair of bumblebee stud earrings. I tried on a dangly pair, but they took away from my neck and that was a no no since not a lot of skin was showing in this look. The bumblebees also matched with the flower garden vibe of the trench coat, which I thought was a cute touch!

I had been so eager to wear my new little number by Solitaire and it felt fantastic in my Terrific Trench Coat OOTD. I have a feeling I will be living in it this spring! 😀

What is your favorite season to dress for? Which season do you have difficulty dressing for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

Fried String Cheese Bites

Posted on February 21, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I don’t know about all of you, but I am feeling so refreshed! I had a very restful three day weekend and sleeping in until nine in the morning every day was just what the doctor ordered. Normally on Sundays, Johnny and I tend to binge watch the day away to gather our strength for the week ahead. Don’t get me wrong, we still binge watched the day away lol, but I did manage to cook a little snack that I have been dying to try! The Fried String Cheese Bites I made thanks to Dancing Through The Rain’s recipe turned out as good as I was hoping they’d be:

I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw this recipe and I was instantly intrigued. What can I say, it had me at “fried cheese”! Of course, this snack was also very appealing because it looked so darn easy to make and I had all of the ingredients minus the string cheese readily available. In fact, it used all of the same things that I needed to make fried mozzarella sandwiches a few weeks ago. This is always a high selling point to me because I can try something new with the supplies I already have!

Prepping the fried cheese bites was really easy. I set up a station to coat them in with three bowls. One for flour, a wash of milk and egg, and Italian bread crumbs. All that was left to do was coat the cut up string cheese in the flour, the wash, the crumbs, and fry them up. This was a bit of a time consuming process because I made thirty bites in total and was SO ready to be done afterwards lol. On the bright side, the bites took minimal time to fry (Thirty seconds, tops.) and they were fabulous. The bites tasted just like mini mozzarella sticks and I definitely plan on making them again.

One thing I plan on doing differently next time I make Fried String Cheese Bites is adding some more cayenne pepper, as per the recipe’s recommendation. What I put in was not enough and I think these would be even better with a bit of kick to them!

What is your favorite thing to snack on? Have you tried any new recipes recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb20

New Matching T-Shirts!!

Posted on February 20, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When Johnny and I are watching our favorite shows or movies, we tend to make comments like “I want that shirt” that whatever character is wearing. For example, in the movie Step Brothers, Will Ferrell wears a Pablo Cruise baseball tee that we both loved. So, I got two of them for us so we could match! Although we frequently point out the shirts we like while we’re vegging out, we never really do anything about it… Until now. As a Valentine’s Day treat, I ordered two matching T-shirts for me and Johnny. These are truly an example of “if you know, you know” because they will be hilarious if you get it and will make you scratch your head if you don’t lol. Check it out:

Do you know what these shirts are from? If not, allow me to explain! Johnny and I are constantly quoting Flight of the Conchords and always enjoy watching their music videos from time to time. In their banger “Business Time” a “baggy T-shirt from the team building exercise you went to in 1999” is referenced and shown in the video. This is one of our favorite parts and I was tickled that the shirt existed when I looked it up. I mean, of course it did, but it was still a pleasant surprise! Our only regret is that we didn’t get them in a size too big to make it baggy lol.

The other shirt I got for us to match in simply states “Happy Birthday Jerusha”. This is from one of our all time favorite shows, Superstore. In one of the episodes, the store manager wants to take a picture for his wife, Jerusha’s, birthday with their huge brood of children. All of them are wearing a “Happy Birthday Jerusha” T-shirt, hence this purchase. We have seen every episode more times than I can count and, without fail, one of us brings up the fact that we need this shirt whenever this particular episode plays. It is exactly what I expected it to be and I am so glad that we finally have them!

If you got any of these slightly obscure references, kudos to you! If not, I can’t recommend watching these shows enough. Stay tuned because we will be rocking our new matching T’s together soon in a husband/wife photo shoot! 😀

What is your favorite Flight of the Conchords song? Who is your favorite character from Superstore? (I LOVE Dina!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb19

Bunny Galore Home Decor

Posted on February 19, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! As you all know, Johnny and I are bunny parents to the sweetest mother and son duo named Melvin and Penelope. They are our little pride and joys and life simply wouldn’t be the same without them scampering about the apartment and being cute. This past week, we took a look at some gorgeous new clothes from my TJMaxx haul. This is all well and good and I love everything I got. However, there were some home decor pieces that I couldn’t pass up and they just might be my favorite things of all! Check it out:

^^^ LOL pardon my shedding husband in the last picture. SMH!!

Have you ever noticed how there is never a shortage of home decor for dog and cat owners in stores? No matter the time of the year, there will always and forever be “dog/cat mom” items to pick from. I have, honestly, never thought about this until this past shopping trip. When my mom and I made our way to the home decor department, I almost died and went to bunny heaven. There were bunny decorations everywhere and it took me a minute to realize this was in preparation of Easter lol. Now, I know that this is truly the bunny owner’s time to shine!

If I had all of the money in the world, I would have bought every single bunny item in the store. They were all just SO cute! The first thing that caught my eye was the topiary bunny on a pedestal and it immediately went into the cart. This was a great substitute because they had a huge topiary bunny that I wanted desperately, but lacked the space for. Next, my mom showed me the beautiful flower print bunny figurine and that also had to come home with me. They had this little statue in a variety of patterns, but the one my mom pointed out was the first one I saw and I liked it the most. I especially like that it makes me think about her when I see it. ❤

The last bunny items I purchased were some adorable decorative plates with images from Peter Rabbit on them. I have several Halloween themed plates from TJs that I just like to have so I was happy to add onto the collection. The pictures are so incredibly sweet and I actually have a few teacups with Peter Rabbit on them to match. Finally, Johnny and I are avid fans of wall art and after some deliberation, I added the butterfly illustration to my cart too. I have quite a few prints of scientific drawings of plants that I got from the Goodwill and this will look perfect hanging next to them. I love the frame and bold colors and, of course, I always think about my niece when I see butterflies – her favorite!

Now that I know when to find bunny themed home decor, you can catch me at the same place, same time next year. Thank you, TJMaxx, for making this bunny mom an extremely happy customer!

Do you change your home decor out every season? What is your favorite season to decorate for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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