Tag Archives: adventure

Jul6

Nature Walk

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Nature Walk

Hi! My brother, Andrew, and I are avid hikers and it is our absolute favorite form of exercise. There is nothing better than hitting the beautiful trails in our neck of the woods and chatting away while immersed in nature and it’s safe to say that I live for our biweekly walks. We have recently decided to travel thirty minutes or so to explore even more trails and it has been so exciting to check out new to us Metro Parks. This past week we took a little road trip to the Barberton Trailhead and it was easily the best hike and bike trail we have been to yet. We saw more wildlife on this trail than all of our hikes of the past year combined!

The Barberton Trailhead is a flat, paved path directly across from a lake like body of water and right off the bat we were seeing animals left and right. Seconds after we began walking, we saw something we have never seen before – a river otter!!! River otters returned to Ohio a few years back and it has been my mission to catch a glimpse of one during our hikes that never came to fruition until now. It was SO cool to see its sleek body weaving in the water and the little face popping up for air. In a similar breath, we also saw a beaver for the first time too. We enjoy hiking at a trail called Beaver Marsh and ironically have never seen any there in the water so this was such a great added bonus. 😀

And then, there were the turtles. We saw fifty-five of them to be exact during our three mile trek! Posted up on logs, swimming, or camouflaging in the algae, we surpassed our original personal turtle sighting best of seventeen by far. Spotting them was literally like playing I Spy in nature and it was a thrill every time we added another one to our tally. As if all of this weren’t enough, we also saw five Blue Herons, two of which that flew directly in front of us. Seeing Blue Herons is like seeing a dinosaur in real life and they were so majestic! As you can see in the last picture, I think that Heron was ready to catch itself some lunch!

Finally in our wildlife jamboree, we saw more baby ducks than we could possibly count. We stopped at thirty something because it was just too much and also too much cuteness! There were baby ducks swimming, resting on the grass, and playing peek a boo behind the logs in the water. The cuteness overload went simply over the top when we were in the right place at the right time. We walked past a family of baby ducks tentatively stepping into the water and then taking off at a rapid pace. I’ll post a video on my TikTok soon so stay tuned because holy adorable. ❤

After our excursion, we treated ourselves to Skoops for a well earned frozen treat. All the while recounting the amazing wildlife we were so lucky to see. We can’t wait to go back!

Do you have a favorite hiking spot? What kind of wildlife do you see on your hikes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Glow Sticks Mini Golf

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Glow Sticks Mini Golf

Hi! Johnny and I freaking LOVE to play mini golf and we visited an ultra cool new indoor course in Chagrin Falls called Glow Sticks this past weekend with my brother, Andrew. Several months ago I saw on Facebook that Glow Sticks would be opening and it was themed around music from the 1950s to the 1990s. I made a mental note of it because it combines our two great passions, music and mini golf, and I just knew it would be a blast. It sure was!! Glow Sticks was absolutely amazing from start to finish and we cannot wait to go back! Take a look at these many MANY pictures and let’s discuss:

So I might have gone a little picture crazy but, in my defense, how could I not?! There was so much awesome artwork, golf puns, and excitement that I wanted to capture it all! The Glow Sticks course consisted of different rooms set up for different decades where we started in the 50s and took a musical tour into the 1990s. Each room played the music of the times and the walls were adorned with the icons of that era. The murals were totally and completely fabulous and we really appreciated all of the golf humor! We are very partial to Stevie Nicks encouraging us to putt your own way and and KISS letting us know that they want to putt and golf all night. Lolol, we were in stitches!

As if all of the music and art weren’t enough, we were delighted by the unique and challenging play through of the Glow Sticks course. As you can see, one of the holes was a literal loopdiloop which we have never seen before! We learned that you had to whack the ball really hard for it to go all the way around. When it was my turn, I told Andrew and Johnny to stay far away so they don’t get a concussion lol. Other noteworthy parts of the course include hitting the ball through a giant Rolling Stones tongue statue, playing on Freddie Mercury’s stage, a skateboard half pipe, and even a 1970s style camper decked out in peace and love decals.

We were simply blown away by the creativity of the Glow Sticks course and everywhere we looked featured something fresh and exciting. Johnny’s favorite part was the mural of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on the putting green. I was a huge fan of the of the Roy Orbison “pretty putter putting on the green” portrait and Andrew enjoyed the statues of The Beatles. Glow Sticks was the perfect tip of the cap to the music that we all know and love and we were singing along to the rocking tunes the whole way through. What a fun afternoon!

If you are in the greater Northeastern Ohio area or are visiting, a stop in at Glow Sticks is a must. You will have a ball!

What is your favorite era of music? Do you prefer outdoor or indoor mini golf courses? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May17

Happy Birthday, Brother!!

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Happy Birthday, Brother!!

Hi! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my big brother, Andrew’s, birthday! I am so lucky because Andrew isn’t just my big bro but my best friend. He is my workout buddy, video game partner, and closest confidant. Everything is better when Andrew is around and we just have so much fun together! Whether we are hitting the mini golf course or just driving around, it is always the best time as we chat, joke, and laugh the day away. Johnny, Andrew, and I are the ultimate trio and I can’t wait to make more amazing memories together this summer!

One of the things that I love the most about Andrew is his spirit of adventure. He is always down to try something new or hit the road and explore. It’s such a joy to join him at baseball and hockey games, on hikes, to the zoo, or simply bopping around at our favorite stores. A recent thing that we started attending together is a monthly anime club at the library which is a total blast! We both share a deep love of anime and I only watch what Andrew recommends. His selections have never steered me wrong yet and I am so enjoying My Hero Academia as per his suggestion. 😀

Andrew is one of the kindest people I have ever met and he truly has a heart of gold. No matter how lousy I am feeling about one thing or another, my day instantly gets brighter when I see him. He is always the first person to notice when I get my nails done or am wearing something new. Whenever I have a content shoot for work, he remembers and asks me the next day how it went. He is always thinking of others and loves his friends and family so fiercely. Andrew is the best big brother I could ever ask for and I am so excited to celebrate him on his big day!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!!!!

I love you!!!!!

May13

Spring Hiking Spree Success

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Spring Hiking Spree Success

Hello! The Metro Parks in my neck of the woods hosts a hiking spree every spring and fall and I love completing the challenge with my brother, Andrew. We will have a threepeat for the fall spree this year and just completed our second spring hiking spree this past Friday. Spring in Ohio has been really cold and rainy so we had to carefully coordinate our five hikes to avoid getting caught in a downpour! During our last hike, we actually got back into my car a literal minute before the rain started coming down and it was an epic ending to the spree. The rain was short lived and we got ice cream after it passed to celebrate! We also got to take home our little prize of a new pin to adorn our Metro Parks lanyards with:

Within a thirty mile radius of where we live, there are at least twenty different Metro Parks to visit and we are truly blessed. During the fall and spring hiking sprees, there is a list of ten or so that you can pick from and it is always fun to try out new trails. Andrew and I both love hiking in the woods and, sadly, we didn’t get to do any of those trails this time around. We would have been walking in a quagmire because of all of the rain! We stuck to paved hiking and biking trails to complete the spree and this ended up being a good thing. The three new to us ones that we hiked will be excellent ones to go to again if the weather isn’t behaving.

Because we were limited to the paved trails, we didn’t get to see much in the way of wildlife. That was okay, though, because the best part of hiking is spending time with my brother. Hiking is our favorite form of exercise and it honestly doesn’t even feel like a work out because we’re talking and joking the whole way through. I can’t tell you the amount of times in years past that we started a hiking spree as a family and never finished it. It is exciting to be on a spree streak with my brother and we are both really looking forward to our fall hikes. Fingers crossed that the weather will allow us to hike in the woods this time around!

In fifteen days we went on five different hikes to draw the spring hiking spree to a close. Here’s to many more years of wonderful walks and memories! ❤

What is your favorite way to work out? Do you go on hikes often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May12

Alien Vacation Mini Golf

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Alien Vacation Mini Golf

Hello! This past weekend my brother, his friend, Johnny, and I went to the awesome Alien Vacation indoor mini golf course in Medina. We are all extremely partial to mini golf and this has got to be one of the best courses in our general vicinity. It was the perfect outing for a rainy spring day! We had a blast exploring all of the cool surprises under the blacklights of the Alien Vacation adventure. From huge animatronics and goofy alien antics to an under the sea and ancient Egypt room, this place had it all! The eighteen holes were just challenging enough and I even got a hole in one! Great success! Check it out:

The Alien Vacation mini golf course was an absolute delight and we all plan on going back there together again. It was incredibly reasonably priced at just twelve dollars to play through and also had a bar and snack shack to wet your whistle in the middle of the course. This was so unlike the typical outdoor courses that we have visited before and was a thousand percent worth the forty minute drive to get there. As soon as we stepped foot into Alien Vacation we were SO in. Then, we put on the 3D glasses and were SO out lol. They gave all of us a headache and we were back in once they were off lol.

The highlights of this course has got to be the ancient Egypt room, under the sea, and the jungle. What took the cake for everyone was, easily, the Legends Of The Hidden Temple vibes room as seen in the last picture. This one was WAY cool! You hit the ball up a ramp and it fell into a different slat depending on how hard you hit it. From there, the ball would travel through the breaks in the artwork to deposit the ball either close to the goal or far from it. It also featured pop up surprises and motion once the golf ball fell into the slats. We were seriously wowed by it and honestly could have kept playing that part again and again!

From start to finish, Alien Vacation was just pure fun and we were so appreciative and impressed by the amount of work that had to be put in to create it. This wasn’t a mini golf course to breeze through but one to take your time with and experience as we didn’t want to miss a thing! What made this outing even better is that we went on Star Wars Day weekend. That is a franchise I can take or leave but Johnny was ecstatic as they were playing the soundtrack throughout the course. It was SO epic to play mini golf to such triumphant themes and I could tell that my main squeeze was channeling his inner Han Solo the entire time! ❤

If you are in my neck of the woods or visiting, 12/10 would highly recommend an afternoon at the Alien Vacation mini golf course. I can’t wait to go back!

Do you have any cool mini golf courses near you? How do you usually fare in mini golf (I came in dead last lol)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Makeup Fun At MAC

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Makeup Fun At MAC

Howdy! A few weeks ago an old friend who works at MAC reached out to me to ask if she could do my makeup. I was so surprised to hear from her as we just kind of fell out of our friendship when I was in college. Surprised, yes, but really happy too! It was so nice to be thought of and I never pass up the opportunity to see old friends. Johnny and I made the trip to Southpark Mall in Strongsville for my girl to do her thing and it was magical. The only time I have ever got my makeup done was for my wedding so it was a huge treat. What was even better was that my makeup artist and I were able to pick up like no time had passed at all! Take a look at her handiwork and peep the OOTD with the special MOTD soon!

Makeup is, honestly, very unknown territory for me. I like the brands I like, the products I like, and the colors I like and never stray far from it. Part of it is out of habit but I guess the other part is that I would rather spend my money on new clothes over new makeup! As I sat in my makeup artist’s chair, I was dumbfounded by all of the products that she compiled to beat my face with. It confirmed that I really do know nothing about makeup lol but I couldn’t wait to see the end results. Each step was fascinating and it was wild to see so many techniques used because all I’m familiar with is my lack thereof!

Prior to my appointment, I asked my pal if she wanted me to wear anything specific and she said to wear whatever and she’d make it work. I decided on a 70s chic outfit and was so curious to see her takeaway from my look. What she landed on was a phoenix inspired MOTD and it absolutely blew my mind. I’m not going to lie, I was initially a little worried as the eye makeup was SO different than anything that I could manage on my own. Then, I saw the full effect and ate those worries right up. This MOTD was giving David Bowie a la Thin White Duke and I was feeling myself SO hard.

This makeup session was a blast from start to finish but it was, first and foremost, so impressive. As soon as I walked to the MAC counter in Macy’s, a vision came to my artist and she expertly saw it through. Every step was so precise, each color used was a perfect match, and she applied it like it was nothing. Not to mention she was applying it while we were chattering away too! I have a feeling that there will be many more collaborations in store for us and be sure to peep my TikTok at lilred6794 for more from this experience!!

I am in love with the look that we created together and can’t wait to see what we dream up next!! ❤

Where do you like to shop for makeup? Do you get your makeup done often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar26

New Orleans Scenery

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New Orleans Scenery

Hi! I so loved my sister trip to New Orleans and we still managed to do a lot around the city before attending my cousin’s wedding. We explored the French Quarter in its entirety and also walked through the Garden District to fantasize about the mansions we would move into. It was actually SO disappointing because we arrived in the Garden District around one fifteen and an open house finished at one o’clock. It would have been way cool to take a looksee in one of the beautiful properties! As we made our way through the city, I had to take ALL of the pictures and wanted to share the sights with you too. Take a look:

During our weekend getaway, we were averaging at least fifteen thousand steps per day. There was just so much to do and see and we wanted to drink it all in. Trust and believe when I tell you that are dogs were barking when each day came to a close! In the French Quarter, we enjoyed going to all of the different shops, markets, restaurants, and bars. Before the wedding on Saturday, we shopped till we dropped to find the perfect souvenirs for our family and ourselves too. I am beyond happy with the mask I purchased for myself and love seeing it displayed in my apartment!

After all of our shopping, we decided to take a break and had a lovely sit down right by the Mississippi River. It was so relaxing to hear the water, feel the breeze, and watch as the boats passed by. I think it was even better to sit down, though! Once we got some rest, we made the trek back to our hotel with plenty of time to spare to prep for the wedding. We also took the opportunity to lay down and watch a hilarious Hallmark movie and play along to Family Feud. It was very hard to pull ourselves from the comfort of the hotel room but as soon as we were back in the warm sun, we rallied for our cousin’s nuptials. The pre-wedding drink we got at one of the bars also helped a little. 😀

On Sunday afternoon, everything went to crap. See the story about our travel turmoil here! But, before the panic of our flight being cancelled, we went to the Garden District to pick out our new mansion home lol. Every single house was stunning but our favorite was easily the one with the flowers all over it in the picture above. How cute is that?! The houses were all so amazing from the outside that we could only imagine what the interiors looked like. I wish we could have gotten a taste of it at the open house we just missed! Smh.

Although we were on limited time for the weekend, we made the most of it with our sight seeing adventures. We had a blast but were SO ready and happy to go home!

Have you been to New Orleans? What was your favorite thing there? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar19

New Orleans Souvenirs

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New Orleans Souvenirs

Hello! This past weekend was a great big adventure because my sister, Kristen, and I went to New Orleans! When we got invited to our cousin’s destination wedding there, I was so surprised when Kristen asked if I wanted to go together. I couldn’t let that quality sister time pass me by and we flew into New Orleans on the morning of Friday the thirteenth. This might be considered an unlucky date but it was the luckiest in the world because we had the best time. I can’t wait to tell you all about it! The food, the scenery, the unfortunate cancellation of our flight home. And, of course, ALL of the OOTDs. But, first, let’s talk souvenirs because we shopped till we dropped in the French District:

The French District was a blur of shops, restaurants, music, and lots and lots of bars. We got to explore it a little bit prior to a pre-wedding party on Friday and then got to peruse it fully on Saturday before our cousin’s beautiful wedding. After a delicious meal at The Market Cafe, we got our shop on to purchase goodies for ourselves and family. The only thing I really wanted for myself was a mask and I fell in love with the one I found at a quirky souvenir shop. The mask itself is gorgeous and ornate but what sold me was the amazing plume of feathers. I also couldn’t believe the price at just thirteen dollars! It was a total steal and I cannot wait to display it in the apartment. It is even giving me ideas for future Halloween costumes. 😀 I am so delighted with this purchase and out of every mask we saw, this one just screamed Lil Red the most!

At another souvenir shop, I stumbled upon the fun little New Orleans Voodoo coffin and I knew Johnny would love it for our knick knack shelf. It is the perfect memento for our spooky selves and I also had to get a few more treats for him too. My Johnny was gifted with a great shirt that features a skeleton playing guitar beside the skeleton of a dog and it says “New Orleans Howlin’ Blues”. Just right for the man who brings music everywhere he goes! I also got him a stick of alligator jerky against my better judgement because gross. However, I knew it would be appreciated so up to the cash register it went smh.

The French District also featured a couple of regular shops that seemed horribly out of place. This included a random CVS, an H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Earthbound. We had never been in an Earthbound before as the closest one to us is about an hour away. It was a really cool store and I walked away with a fabulous wrap around snake bracelet. As you all know, I am an avid fan of snakeskin patterned clothing and snake themed jewelry. It is just so edgy and sexy too! The wrap bracelet I got is dynamite and we were at the store at just the right time. The employee told us it got restocked the day before and sells out very quickly. I can’t wait to rock mine in a new OOTD soon so you can see it in all of is glory!

Stick around on lifewithlilred for all of the New Orleans content. This was the trip of a lifetime and I am so happy that I got to share it with my sister. ❤

What is your favorite part of New Orleans? Do you have a vacation coming up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb19

4 Ways Investing In A Boat Can Seriously Enhance Your Summer

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4 Ways Investing In A Boat Can Seriously Enhance Your Summer

Let’s think of the ideal summer’s day. You’re probably outside somewhere, surrounded by nature with your friends and family. You spend the day jumping in and out of a cooling body of water, and wrap up the evening with a delicious meal.

That is an idyllic day that sounds like a dream, but actually, if you live near a lake, then it might be more within reach than you think. If you have a boat, then all of those things could be on the table, and not just on one day, but all summer long. 

Still not convinced that a boat is right for you? We’ve put together a list of just some of the ways that buying a boat can be a game-changer for how you experience the summer months:

It Gives You Easy Access To a Good Time:

The summer months can be fun, but it doesn’t happen automatically. On a sunny day, you still have to make something happen. A boat provides an easy and convenient way to make sure that you and your family have a day to remember. Most people have to go on vacation to make the most of the summer months — if you have a boat, then you’ll have a vacation-worthy experience readily available all summer long. 

It Provides Plenty of Water-Based Fun:

It can be fun to simply spend time out on the water, but you can also use your boat to engage in water-based hobbies. While most boats are multipurpose, some are designed with a particular activity in mind. Remember how we mentioned at the beginning of the article about eating a delicious meal? Then take a look at Smoker Craft boats, which are excellent for fishing in both shallow backwaters and large lakes. If you’re looking for a boat that’s fun for the family, then a wake boat can be a great option — these high-speed boats are awesome for wakesurfing and wakeboarding, among other watersports. 

It’s a Great Hangout Spot:

Having a boat might just make you the most popular person in town. The reason? Everyone loves spending a hot summer’s evening on a boat! They’re great for socializing; all you need to do is pack some snacks and drinks, head out onto the water, and simply enjoy being together in a beautiful environment. If you’re looking for a way to bring your loved ones together this summer, then a boat will more than do the trick — and not just this summer, but for many years to come.

It Brings Adventure:

Many of us are infused with the spirit of adventure when summer rolls around. Normally, that means taking a vacation somewhere. When you have a boat, you’ll have adventure right on your doorstep. Boats allow you to explore during the hot summer months when the days are long. Maybe you’ll discover a hidden gem of a beach, find fun caves to trek through, or discover that you can easily reach the next town over by taking a shortcut over the water. 

Make a huge splash this summer with a brand new boat. Adventure awaits!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb17

Hey, Neighbor

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Hey, Neighbor

Hi everyone. These past few weeks have been an incredibly difficult time for me and Johnny. As you all know, our downstairs neighbor, Tony, held a very special place in our hearts. He was our best friend, my pseudo grandpa, and beloved co-founder of Friday Night Dinner Club. It is with deep sadness to say that he passed away on February eleventh after a long fought battle with ongoing health issues. We are totally and completely heartbroken and it has been so hard to say goodbye to someone so dear to us. However, we are beyond lucky to have had three years of beautiful memories that will forever be cherished.

When Tony moved in, we were all on the same schedule. When Johnny left for work, he was outside smoking. When I left for work, he was outside smoking. When we returned from work, you guessed it – he was outside smoking! While our chats grew in length, our friendship blossomed into all kinds of adventures. This included Friday Night Dinner Club, Saturday Afternoon Movies, going to the shooting range, shooting pool, and the most incredible time doing a drive through of the Asian Lantern Festival. One of my favorite memories has got to be when we watched the total solar eclipse together. With our protective glasses on, we spent the afternoon watching a marvel of nature, gabbed away, and cheered and whooped during the big show. It was magical.

Our apartment complex feels so empty without our Tony. Every morning I still find myself looking for him when I leave for work and anticipate having our regular afternoon chat when I return home. It breaks my heart all over again every single time he isn’t there. Tony had a smile and a kind word for every person he encountered. He was gentle, had a silly sense of humor, and was up for whatever antics we would get into during our outings. Tony was a proud father and grandfather and I can’t recall a single conversation where he wasn’t “bragging” (As we called it!) about his family. It made me feel so good when he told me he always bragged about Johnny and me too! We miss our friend beyond measure but I am so thankful for all of the fun times we had to treasure. Whether it was a quick chitchat outside or an evening on the town, it was always special because he was so special to us. ❤

Tony always would sign off the texts we would send back and forth with “love always” and this phrase has been getting me through our collective heartache. It was love always whenever we were together and it radiated so purely. We love you always, Tony and our lives are permanently better because of you. Gone, but never ever forgotten.