Best Of The Vests OOTD

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Best Of The Vests OOTD

Hello darlings!! After a brief hiatus from OOTDs due to being sick at the beginning of the year as well as the worst weather ever, we are back! Like last year, one of my blogging goals for 2024 is to continue creating as many outfits as possible and I plan on making good on it. This past weekend was a somewhat busy/somewhat relaxing one and I knew exactly what I wanted to wear as Johnny and I went about our day on Saturday! Check it out and let’s discuss:

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Who? What? Wear?

Vest Thing: Rachel Roy, TJMaxx

Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

The earrings were bought forever ago at Target!

As sure as the sun will rise in the morning, I always end up receiving TJMaxx gift cards for Christmas. #blessed lol And, after restocking my skin care, I found the Rachel Roy vest thing during my post holiday shopping. Is it a vest? A poncho? Maybe a kimono? I have no clue! I did know, however, that this Rachel Roy number was the only one in the store and that I had to have it! This is such a unique piece and I have never seen anything similar to it before. I love the traditional vest quilting and the fall colored paisley print is everything. I have been waiting for a while to break this bad boy out and I styled this look how I pictured it in my head while in the TJs dressing room.

To start, I put on my simple black sweater by Shrinking Violet to wear underneath the vest. This sweater is as old as the hills and I actually wore it on my first day of college! Be that as it may, it is the perfect sweater for layering. It fits nice and close to the body without being too snug. For the torso, I wasn’t too concerned because it would be covered up. The sleeves were a different story, though, and it fit just right and really allowed the vest to shine.

Next on the agenda was jeans, and black skinnies were the way to go. With a piece as bold as the vest on top, there was no need for the bells and whistles offered with a patterned or coated jean. The simple staples of the skinnies and sweater helped form a lean silhouette and let the vest do the talking. This was further assisted by the all black everything palette and made the paisley pattern in the vest pop.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with my pair of heeled boots by Olivia Miller. I got these a few winters ago for twenty bucks during a TJs clearance sale and I just love them. The chunky heel paired with pseudo suede and a huge silver chain on the boot is a match made in heaven! These boots added length and a way cool detail with the chain. To wrap up the look, I put on a pair of dangly earrings with a gorgeous amber gem hanging from them to compliment the vest. With that, I was ready to take on the day the fashion forward way!

There is nothing better than when an outfit turns out just the way you wanted it to and my Best Of The Vests OOTD definitely did that. This Rachel Roy vest was an amazing find and I am already looking forward to wearing it again!

Have you done any winter clearance shopping? What was the best deal you ever got for an item on sale? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Joys Of Eating And Cooking In Your Backyard

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The Joys Of Eating And Cooking In Your Backyard

One of the best ways to enjoy food these days is to take a seat outside and put something nice on the grill. The smell of grilled food, the warm sunshine hitting your skin, and the relaxing conversations of your friends and family members in the background – these are the types of things you can expect when you start eating and cooking more in your backyard. All that and so much more:

Encourage socializing in your family:

If you want to create a family-friendly backyard that also makes your friends and neighbors feel welcome, then consider cooking and eating outdoors. You don’t need to be in a separate room cooking food while your guests are interacting with each other. Instead, you can cook food in the open and have conversations with people. You won’t feel glued to the burner, watching things closely to ensure they don’t cook. In short, cooking in an open area such as a backyard is often a great way to encourage more socialization because we’re not stuck in the kitchen with our back to our guests and family members all the time.

Fresh air is always a plus:

Enjoying some fresh air is always nice, especially if the climate allows for it. Far too many of us are cooped up inside, working from home, and cooking indoors. Opening the windows and doors doesn’t cut it either – it doesn’t replicate the joy of cooking outside and breathing in the fresh air as we enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal.

Even putting together a backyard bar just to enjoy a refreshing drink outside can be a great idea. People often underestimate just how relaxing and soothing it can be to enjoy some good food outdoors surrounded by nature. It’s something we urge you to try at least once to see what it’s like!

More cooking options:

Most people who try grilling food indoors will quickly realize that the flames rarely get hot enough, and it generates a lot of smoke that fills the kitchen and makes things harder for you. Grilling outside on a more powerful cooking device means you can get to higher temperatures, and you don’t have to worry about the area getting filled with smoke or heat from your cooking.

And that’s not to say you can’t use your kitchen either. You can bake goods or prepare food in your kitchen that is ready to be cooked outside. Combine cooking and preparation methods to open up more cooking options that you can try.

Eating and cooking outside might be different at first, but it’s well worth the try. It can transform your cooking, give your family a new place to socialize, and you’ll be encouraged to invite friends and neighbors over too!

Featured Image By: Unsplash (CC0)

Why You Need The Right Equipment For Your Business

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Why You Need The Right Equipment For Your Business

Equipment, whether it’s tools, machinery, software, or anything else, is vital for every business. Even those businesses that are solely online and sell digital downloads to customers will need computing equipment or, at the very least, some kind of mobile device to run properly, so it really doesn’t – or shouldn’t – make a difference as to what kind of business you run; the information in this post is going to be useful to you.

The fact is, it’s not just a matter of getting some equipment – it’s a matter of getting the right equipment, and that’s what makes the difference. With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why you need the right equipment for your business:

Better Productivity:

Having the right equipment means that it’s far easier for you or your team to do the work that needs to be done efficiently and to be as productive as possible. Having equipment that isn’t quite right but that you think will do and still get the job done might do that, but it won’t do it well, and it won’t do it quickly or accurately.

When you invest in the right equipment, like pharmacy fridges, for example, you can rest assured that the software or machinery will be able to do precisely what you need it to do without any delays or issues. Your business will be a lot more productive, and you and your team will feel much happier – your customers will be happier, too, and that’s definitely something you’ll want to achieve.

Proper and modern equipment from fork lifts to cotton candy vending machines for sale isn’t just for safety and efficiency. New machinery can prove to be a cost effective solution in the long run as it has less of a tendency to malfunction. You can also explore warranty options to assist in future repairs needed down the road.

In the same breath, improving productivity can also come in the form of what software and programs you are using. Older versions will not have the same bells and whistles as modern ones do which can decrease the efficiency of your workers. Take the time to learn how a CMMS streamlines equipment change orders or ways that a central hub for documentation can be more secure. There are always better ways and products to complete tasks and technology upgrades can be most beneficial.

It’s Safer:

Making do with tools that might work reasonably well but that aren’t the right ones for the job is always a gamble when it comes to your business’s productivity, but it’s a gamble when it comes to safety as well. The tools that are specifically designed for the job you need to do are designed with safety relating to that job and how it’s performed in mind. There will be special safeguards in place, and the instructions will give you a good understanding of how to use the tools. If they’re used for anything else other than their main function, they could make the entire task unsafe, which would cause the risk of injury and disruption to your business, not to mention potentially damaging your reputation.

No matter what your business specializes in, proper equipment to do your job well and safely should be prioritized. If your business is a retail store, this could be as simple as having a first aid kit and lifting equipment for shipment. However, jobs like commercial diving operations can prove to be a life or death situation if you and your employees don’t have the best gear such as silent generators for diving. Equipment like this should be tested regularly so no problems arise when you are working. You should also continue to keep up with the latest technology for your career so safety is always at the forefront.

Cost Savings:

Buying equipment that isn’t quite right but that’s cheaper than what you really need might seem like a good idea, especially if you’re on a budget for your business. After all, if it does the job well enough, what’s the harm? You’re saving money, and you’re still doing what needs to be done.

That might seem like a reasonable assumption, but it’s not actually the case. The reality is that you’ll probably need to buy new equipment sooner rather than later. You’ll either upgrade to the correct equipment, or you’ll have to replace what you’re using because it got damaged through misuse. Plus, if you’re less productive, as we’ve already seen you will be, you won’t make as much money. In the long run, spending more on the right equipment is a good way to save money.

The proper equipment for your business will save you time, hassle, and money too. It’s a necessary step and a huge win!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Work Goals Achieved (YES!)

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Work Goals Achieved (YES!)

Howdy! As the transition from 2022 and 2023 happened, one of my main goals was to work a lot more online. While I love my job as an Independent Provider, I wanted to try new things too and what I was most interested in was taking my online work to a new level. This was such an “asked and answered” situation because on January 4th of 2023, I began working as the in house writer for a tech entrepreneur in Massillon, Ohio. This was an absolute dream come true!

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With this job came the responsibilities of handling social media for several different accounts, writing blog posts and press releases, as well as office admin work. It honestly doesn’t even feel like work because it is so much fun! Like my job as an Independent Provider, I know that it’s something that I’m not only excellent at, but I genuinely enjoy too. It truly doesn’t get much better than that and I have lifewithlilred to thank. That is how I got noticed for this opportunity in the first place. ❤

At the end of 2023, my time with a long term client came to an unfortunate end and that was really hard for me. I assumed that I would be working with that family for forever and I was wrong. It was also stressful because I needed to find a way to make up for the hours lost. Once again, asked and answered. My online boss gave the okay for additional hours on Monday and, better yet, I get to do that in person! Every Monday, I have been going into the office for training and am learning so much. It gives me the chance to work with the companies my boss owns in an entirely new way and it is thrilling!

The cherry on top to my online work extravaganza has been accepting another new role. Starting this past December, I became the social media manager for a local metalcore band called Constellations. I created all of their social media pages from scratch and handle their content calendars, scheduling, and promoting. This is something that I have wanted for so long and I am very proud of myself for taking the plunge and tossing my hat in the ring when they were looking to hire someone. I took a big chance and it paid off big time. 😀

It’s safe to say that I am a pretty busy gal between all of my jobs, but it is the best kind of busy ever. I love everything that I do and I can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way next!

Have you achieved any goals recently? What is your favorite part about your job? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

January 2024 Finishes

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January 2024 Finishes

Helloooo!!! We are FINALLY nearing the end of January and all I have to say is thank gawd lol. This past month has felt like a year and I have been ready for it to be over weeks ago. I am eagerly anticipating the start of spring, warmer weather, and getting back to my walking regimen. The past several weeks in Akron, Ohio have been bitterly cold, rainy, snowy, sleety, icy, and everything in between and it has really been putting a damper on things both literally and metaphorically! Thankfully, the month is almost out and here’s to brighter days ahead! Now, let’s get to these beauty empties. This post will be short and sweet because there wasn’t much in the “all done” department:

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Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Gingham Vibrant Shower Gel: YES

Dead Sea Collection 24K Gold + Collagen Night Cream: NO

Why/Why Not:

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a Bath & Body Works Gingham girl through and through and it is one of my favorite scent collections. I LOVED Gingham Love and flipped shit when they released more scents like Gingham Vibrant, Gorgeous, and Fresh. Gingham Vibrant mixes the classic crisp scent of the original fragrance with tart blackberries and soft notes of vanilla. It definitely lives up to the name Vibrant because it is such a lively and bright scent. Sadly, the Vibrant and Fresh lines got discontinued, but they will live on forever in my heart lol. It took me a month and a half to finish this bottle.

Dead Sea Collection Cream: I have recently started introducing skin care with retinol and collagen into my skin care routine. Unfortunately, I haven’t found one that works for me yet because the last one I used and the Dead Sea Collection cream were massive duds. I’m not saying I want a product with tightening and firming agents to feel like my face is burning off, but I would like to feel something. Just for the confirmation that it’s working. I noticed no differences in the feel or look of my skin and that was disappointing. On the bright side, now I know which brands to steer clear of and am hoping through the process of elimination that I will find the moisturizer for me. It took me about three and a half weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

That’s that for the January empties – I told you it would be a short post! Bring on February because I can’t wait to try out all of my new goodies from recent bath and body and skin care hauls! 😀

What is a product you loved that got discontinued? What is your favorite collagen/retinol cream? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Baby Bunny Cuteness Overload

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Baby Bunny Cuteness Overload

Hello!! Johnny and I have been bunny parents to our sweet Melvin and Penelope since November of last year. We adopted the mother/son pair from the most wonderful couple and they are our little pride and joys. Six months prior to bringing the buns home, Penelope had a herd of babies and we got them when Melvin was a half a year old. Sadly, this meant we didn’t get to experience teeny tiny Melvin until recently. Some pictures from their original parents popped up on her phone memories and was sent my way and I just about died of cuteness overload. Check it out:

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^^^ Nelly girl loves box time!!! 😀

Ever since receiving pictures and videos of my baby Melvin, I have been looking at them constantly. They’re just so adorable and are my go to whenever I need a smile. I obviously couldn’t keep all of this cuteness to myself so here we are now lol. The videos that I was sent were an absolute hoot. The one with Penelope featured her enjoying some leafy greens which is so classic Pen! The way to this mama girl’s heart is definitely through her stomach and she lives for the leafies.

The videos of Melvin, on the other hand, showcased his adventurous spirit right from the jump. The couple we adopted him from has a dog, cat, and a pig too and he loved interacting with them. Other videos featured him zipping in and out of hiding spots and climbing about. Mel is our tiny wanderer and is always looking to explore. I was not surprised in the slightest that he had that exact same spunky personality even in his infancy. In fact, as I type this, he was just trying to figure out a way to hop the baby gate we have set up to keep them from going beneath the couch. Mel is always up to something!

Seeing old videos and pics of Mel and Pen made me love them even more and I didn’t think that was humanly possible. They are simply the best bunnies a gal could ask for and bring so much joy to mine and Johnny’s lives! ❤

Do you know what your pet looked like as a baby? What baby animal do you think is the cutest? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Ghost Story By Peter Straub (Partial Review) Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! It has been a fat minute since our last review because I was plugging away at the longest, most boring book I have ever read. It is called Ghost Story by Peter Straub and is one of the few books that I have given up on. Normally, I refuse to not finish a book that I have been reading, but I just couldn’t take it anymore lol. This book is the literal worst and I genuinely can’t understand why Stephen King said it was one of his favorites!! In fact, this was the only reason I wanted to read it in the first place smh. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Ghost Story for violence in all forms and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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LONG story very short… In the quaint town of Milburn resides four old men who call themselves the Chowder Society. During their meetings, each member takes turns telling a scary story. The prompt is “what is the worst thing you have ever done?” The response: “I can’t tell you that, but I’ll tell you the scariest thing I experienced.” Or something along those lines, but you get the point. These stories can be entirely made up or based on fact and the goal is to scare the pants off of each other. Little does the Chowder Society know, their ghost stories are going to come to life and wreak havoc on Milburn and it is up to them to stop it.

Now, with this brief synopsis, one would think that this would be a pretty good read. The plot is decent and has the potential to be truly frightening. However, this was just not the case whatsoever. Ghost Story moved along slower than a snails pace. It was a tedious read and time consuming too. I consider myself to be an incredibly fast reader and I could only finish thirty pages per hour. This book is five hundred and eighteen pages and after almost a month of reading it, I threw in the towel at page three hundred and ninety-eight. Like I said, I literally could not take it anymore.

What I consider to be a saving grace in a book is characters that you can really root for and that was something I didn’t experience in Ghost Story. None of the characters were likeable nor had anything special about them to make things more interesting. And the horror for what is considered a horror book? Minimal, at best. I was hoping for more of the supernatural and what I got was a tired retelling of werewolves and vampires to the point that it was almost comical. If you’re interested in werewolves and vampires, you’re honestly better off reading Twilight!

Ghost Story made me break my golden rule of never giving up on a book and I detest it even more for that. But, with one hundred and twenty pages to go, I refused to spend four more hours on it. Ghost Story will receive no stars and unless you’re a masochist, then I do not recommend it.

What is the worst book you have ever read? What is the scariest book you have ever read? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Urgently Awesome

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Urgently Awesome

Hello!! A few weekends ago, I took a tumble that resulted in some pretty gnarly cuts on two of my fingers. The boo boos were in the most inconvenient spot – right on the crease beneath the pad of the finger. My right hand ring finger was healing pretty well, but the one on my middle finger was a different story. I felt like the wound was barely closing and what’s worse, it felt infected too. By the time I was nearing the end of a course of antibiotics, I was worried that it wasn’t enough so Johnny and I decided to go to the Well Now urgent care clinic down the street from us. This place actually used to be a Family Video lol.

We went to Well Now this past Monday and we were both most impressed with it. We were in and out in less than an hour, which was great. The care was phenomenal and there were also TONS of goodies there too! Check it out:

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Before going to the Well Now clinic, I looked up some reviews online to see other people’s opinions. For the most part, it came highly recommended. This was nice, but what stuck out the most to me was that this place had a Slushie machine in the waiting room! Obviously, I just had to see this for myself and by god there was. Lol, I have never seen anything like it before and it was so fantastic to sip on a blue raspberry Slush Puppie as we waited to get called back. It reminded me of when my dad would take me to skating practice because he would always get us a Slushie to share afterwards. Such a lovely burst of nostalgia. 🙂

We were called back to a room less than five minutes after sitting down and the PA who took care of us was the best. He was so nice and funny, which really helped put both me and Johnny at ease. He dressed my finger to help get it to close and wrapped it up in some crazy contraption that made it look like a banana. Trust and believe I couldn’t wait to flip people off with it! The process was quick and pain free and before we knew it, we were ready to walk out the door. Of course, we had to grab some snacks to go on our way out. Another very nice touch, indeed!

Going to the Well Now clinic was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it. Not just for the Slushie machine, but for the excellent level of care too!

What was the best waiting room you have ever been in? Have you ever been to an urgent care before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Freddy Krueger Edition

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Bath Bomb Blitz: Rusted Acre Soap Co. Freddy Krueger Edition

Hello!! This past weekend was a nice and relaxing one and I decided to take a soak with one of the amazing horror themed bath bombs my bestie got me for Christmas. These bath bombs by Rusted Acre Soap Co. are the literal bomb and I was highly impressed by the knife and Jason Voorhees ones that I used previously. They put on the most amazing show that put them on a Lush level for me and that’s really saying something! Needless to say, I was very excited to use the Freddy Krueger bath bomb but, unfortunately, it missed the mark in a big way. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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One, two Freddy’s coming for youuu

Similarly to the other two bath bombs that I used in this collection, not much happened for the first few minutes of the Freddy Krueger bomb being in the water. It fizzed out white bubbles and didn’t start turning the water red until the bath water was topped with a hazy film. Then, the bath bomb started really going into action with red and yellow bubbles bursting out at a rapid pace. This was pretty par for the course and I was actually willing the process to go faster because I was looking forward to the surprise finish that the previous two bath bombs had.

Nearing the end, the knife bath bomb spurted out inky, glittery black water and it looked SO cool. The Jason Voorhees one, on the other hand, erupted green and red from the eyes and ended up replicating his mask in the water. For the grand finale for Freddy Krueger, I was expecting to see the water bursts create a pattern like his gloves. This was the most logical way for it to go and I couldn’t wait to see it. Sadly, nothing happened once the bath bomb was about to fizz out completely and that was a big disappointment.

I will say that this bath bomb turned the water into a fantastic shade of deep, blood red and that was a nice touch. However, it basically did everything the other bath bombs did without anything unique about it. I’m not sure if this was because these bath bombs are a bit older. They did come shrink wrapped but maybe they needed to be used by a specific date to be at their most effective? We’ll see what the Ghostface and Michael Myers bombs do when I use them to determine if this was a factor or not.

Overall, I am going to rate the Freddy Krueger bath bomb with a four and a half out of ten stars. This was my least favorite one from the pack so far for its lack of excitement. Whomp whomp!!

Who is your favorite slasher villain? What is your favorite color palette for the water to change with a bath bomb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lazy Weekend

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Lazy Weekend

Hellooo everyone!! Is January still not over yet? Lol, these past few weeks have felt like a year in itself – especially this last one. Even though Johnny and I enjoyed a day off on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the remainder of the week dragged serious ass. It was freaking freezing all week with temperatures in the teens and by the time the week ended we got a ton of snow. It was definitely a cruel shock after the insanely mild winter we have been having and it wore me out!

Normally over the weekend, Johnny and I try to do at least one fun thing. Whether that be an outing together or hanging out with friends, it always gives us something to look forward to. This weekend, however, was an incredibly lazy one and it was just what we needed. In fact, we didn’t even take OOTD pictures – it was WAY too cold for that! Because I knew that we would be staying in, I made it my goal to complete my Tim Misny Christmas puzzle and had high hopes of accomplishing it…

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And let’s just say that I didn’t even come close lol. After I spent what felt like forever sorting the pieces out, I was already SO done! I didn’t even finish the border and that’s the easiest part smh. Don’t tell Tim! After realizing that the puzzle was a bust, Johnny and I went on a binge watching marathon and it was great. Usually, our “day of lay” on a Sunday involves a lot of quality time with our TV, but we decided to make that happen on Saturday too.

After I took a relaxing soak with a bath bomb (Stay tuned for a new Bath Bomb Blitz tomorrow!), our day(s) of lay commenced. On Saturday, we watched The Hunt For The Wilderpeople (Our favorite!), The Lord of The Rings, and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (We are on a HUGE Madea kick!). And, of course, LOTR was the extended edition which is the only way it should be watched! On Sunday, we stuck with our tradition of watching the new Saturday Night Live and Criminal Minds for the rest of the day.

Even though we really didn’t do much of anything over the weekend, Johnny and I still had a blast because we were together. Sometimes, you really do need a few days to just veg out and I’m glad we did. I think we were both pretty rundown from the work week and I know that I woke up for my three in the morning day on Monday feeling much more well rested. Well, as well rested as I can be for being up that early. I would absolutely say that that helped make the weekend an ever bigger GREAT SUCCESS!

When you’re feeling worn out, it can be so easy to just keep going and doing anyways. Johnny and I listened to what our bodies needed and that was a heaping dose of R&R. As I write this on Monday morning, I feel very ready to take on the week ahead!

How did you spend your weekend? What is your favorite way to relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah