Tag Archives: akron

Mar8

Do Pickles Go On Pizza? YES!

Posted on March 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Sunday is mine and Johnny’s day of rest before it’s back to the grind. We watch TV and movies all day and DoorDash dinner and it is one of my favorite times of the week. At least until 5 PM, anyway, then it starts sinking in that we have to go to work the next day! For the past several weeks, I have been asking Johnny if we could try out a new to us pizza place called the Twisted Tomato and he finally agreed to give it a shot. It was SO insanely good and pats on the back for me because right away, Johnny said we need to get it again! Check it out:

The Twisted Tomato features a pizza called the Peter Piper Pickle Pizza, which has mozzarella and provolone cheese, a white garlic sauce, dill pickle slices, and Italian seasoning. About a year ago, a Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of it with his recommendations and I screenshotted the post with every intention of trying it. Then, I forgot lol. It wasn’t until I started my new job working with an online directory at the beginning of this year when I remembered because Twisted Tomato has a listing in our food and dining section. I love my new gig and I love it even more that it led me to mine and Johnny’s new favorite eatery!

After scouring the menu on Saturday night, I decided to go with the pickle pizza and an order of their Rotini in a creamy pesto sauce on Sunday. Johnny went for a personalized calzone and cheesy bread, but it was incredibly hard for both of us to narrow our choices down because everything looked so delicious! Our food arrived quickly and even our DoorDash driver, the incomparable Frank, told us how good it smelled haha we almost invited him in for a slice and screening of HELP! 😀

I can’t speak for Johnny’s calzone because it had meat in it, but everything else in the order was freaking incredible. The answer to the question of if pickles belong on pizza is a resounding YES. The pickle pizza took my taste buds around the world with dilly, garlicky goodness and the combination was just right. The pickle flavor wasn’t overpowering and it just enhanced all of the other ingredients. Because I didn’t know if it would be a love or hate situation, I ordered a small pickle pizza. However, Johnny and I both liked it so much that we will have to get a bigger size next time!

The creamy pesto sauce for the Rotini was also really yummy and was a blend of Alfredo and pesto sauce. I have never tried anything like it before and it was good, but not as garlicky as I prefer. I will give their plain pesto a try next time so it won’t be diluted with the cream sauce. Another definite reorder item was the cheesy bread, which was probably one of the best I have ever tried from a pizza place. The layer of cheese was so thick and the dipping sauce was sweet, making for a perfectly savory/sweet blend with each bite.

Lazy Sunday was a raging success this past weekend and I think that Johnny and I will be frequenting the Twisted Tomato often. I have a feeling that I will be getting the pickle pizza every time!

What is your favorite specialty pizza shop? What are your favorite pizza toppings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec26

Holiday Fun At Lock 3

Posted on December 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!!! This past Wednesday, I bundled up against the cold with my sister, Kristen, and sweet nieces, Val and Raya, for some pre-Christmas fun. Originally, we were going to go to a somewhat far away holiday lights display but got turned off by the driving. So, we headed to downtown Akron’s Lock 3 instead that hosts light displays and ice skating in the winter. The rink was crazy crowded and to both mine and Val’s disappointment, we had to pass on her first skating lesson with TT. We still had a blast visiting Archie The Talking Snowman and playing mini golf, though! Check it out:

Literally everyone in northeast Ohio knows Archie The Talking Snowman. He had a long tenure at Chapel Hill Mall until it closed down a few years ago and since got moved to Lock 3. Every holiday season when we were little, we would visit Archie at the mall and tell him what we wanted for Christmas and, of course, that we had been good all year. He would then promise to put in a good word with the Big Man just for us. Yes, it was just some guy in the gigantic snowman talking to us but it was freaking magical as a kid!

Kristen and I thought Val would be stoked to meet Archie and tell him what’s on her wish list but that was far from the case. Lol, little lady was freaking terrified and, honestly, so was I! The booming voice of Archie reverberated throughout the entire area and even into the parking garage. I don’t remember him being so loud! Val agreed to let Kristen talk to Archie on her behalf and it was a fine compromise. 🙂

After visiting with Archie, we went to check out the adorable displays set up in cabins that used to house vendors for a Christkindl Market. These displays actually used to be set up in windows all throughout the buildings of downtown Akron and it was cool to see them all in one place without walking around the city in the cold. I definitely remember the little snowpeople window from way back when! This was my favorite one and Val’s too. She is such a TT’s girl! ❤

When we were done scouring the displays, we realized ice skating was a bust. To warm up and make the most of the evening, we played mini golf at the small indoor course set up by the Akron Children’s Museum. This was the first time Val played putt putt and it went better than we expected – no meltdowns were had unlike her TT when she was little! About halfway through mini golfing, Val realized it was the funnest thing ever and took mine and Kristen’s turns for us. She rolled with the punches of not being able to skate beautifully and our evening ended on such a high note.

I have always loved the holiday season and it is infinitely better now that Johnny and I have sweet nieces and nephews to share it with. I cannot wait to take Val skating and it looks like we’re going to have to go mini golfing this summer!

Are there any holiday traditions like Archie in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite holiday activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov10

Sweet Surprises: Husband’s Haul Edition

Posted on November 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past weekend, Johnny and my brother visited a Comicon event that was happening right down the street from us at a banquet center. Like the last time that they went to a similar event this past summer, both guys walked away with a ton of awesome purchases from the vendors that were set up. By the time I returned home after their outing, Johnny was already out for the evening. But, he told me the amount of goodies he set up throughout the apartment and it was like a scavenger hunt to find them all! Check it out:

As I wandered around the apartment trying to find all of Johnny’s purchases, I couldn’t quite believe it – everything was just so cool! I also loved that he knew exactly what I would have bought for myself if I had been able to come because I would have been all over that Sam Minifig from Trick ‘R Treat. The Link Minifig that Johnny got for himself also looks fantastic next to our collection of Legend Of Zelda amiibos. And, of course, our Funko Pop collection continues to grow with figures from our favorite holiday flick, Jingle All The Way. Now, I just need to get my hands on a Turbo Man Funko! 😀

What really blew my mind from Johnny’s haul was the perler bead art of R2D2 and Duck Hunt. Perler beads were something that I constantly played with when I was little and I hadn’t really thought about them until seeing our new wall art. The Duck Hunt one is so clever and I wish that I came up with the idea myself! In fact, I kind of want to try some perler bead kits in my free time – although it might be kind of difficult with my talon nails lol smh.

The most noticeable change in our apartment’s decor is, obviously, the huge horror movie icon prints that Johnny got from the hosts of Transylvania Tonight. All of these were painted by “Drac” and both him and “Countess Carita” signed the print of one of their advertisement shots. From what Johnny told me, they both definitely seem like our kind of people and I can’t get over how spectacular each print is. As soon as I saw them hanging up thanks to Johnny’s handiwork, I literally clutched my pearls!

I am so proud of my Johnny’s Comicon haul and I wish that I could have joined in the fun with him and my brother. However, it’s probably a good thing that I had other plans because our whole apartment would be overrun with purchases!

Have you ever been to a Comicon before? What is your favorite horror movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Heritage Farms Date Day

Posted on October 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had a lovely date day/OOTD shoot at the Heritage Farms pumpkin patch. Because, let’s be real, are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures at a pumpkin patch during spooky season?! The answer is: NO! We even got surprised by a super sweet woman who insisted on taking our pictures after yelling “POWER COUPLE ALERT” lol. Check it out:

^^^ You can peep this OOTD tomorrow!!

Heritage Farms is a beautiful property that hosts all kinds of different events year round. There are farmers markets in the summer, pumpkin patches in the fall, and a Christmas tree farm come winter. The pumpkin patch was SO perfect and was decked out with something for everyone. There were food trucks, pumpkins of every shape and size, and a children’s area featuring games and hay rides. I can’t wait to take my nieces!! 😀

We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our date day and what started out really chilly turned into a sunny and warm fall afternoon. It felt wonderful to walk around and breathe in that fresh fall air and see all of the other families having such a great time. Nothing warms mine and Johnny’s hearts more than seeing other people basking in the glory of Halloween time. ❤

After selecting two baby pumpkins apiece, we started to get hungry and continued our date at a bar called The Basement. I had never been before even though it’s right down the street from our apartment and the food was, shockingly, insanely good. We returned home with very full bellies and I treated Johnny to some pampering by dyeing his hair. Then, it was time for Magic The Gathering and video games to wrap up a fantastic day.

Ever since Johnny and I began doing our combined date and OOTD shoot on Saturdays, I have been such a happy camper. It gives me something to look forward to every week and it is so much fun to explore all kinds of different places in the greater Akron area with my main squeeze. I can’t wait to figure out where we’ll go next week!

What does your ideal date consist of? What is your favorite fall activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Libraries Rock!

Posted on October 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I have had the absolute pleasure of taking my sweet niece, Val Gal, to a couple of story times at one of the many local libraries in our area. It is seriously the cutest thing on planet Earth and I love having some extra TT time! During story hour, the kids listen to stories (Obviously lol), sing songs, learn dances, and do a craft themed around their topic for the day. The teacher also peppers in tips for the parents or family to help improve language skills. I have never been to a library story hour before taking Val and I was SO impressed by the librarians running the program.

When I first started my job as an Independent Provider for people with special needs, I was working strictly in the evenings. Prior to this, I used to think that libraries were just for using the computers and getting books. However, they are so much more than that, which I learned from taking my clients to the numerous programs held at the libraries.

Every month, I would scour the Events pages for the libraries in the greater Akron area for programs my clients would enjoy. And, every time, I was blown away with what was being offered. We would attend vinyl record clubs, movie nights, crafts, an escape room, and even a murder mystery night! The best part? Everything was always free!

Libraries in my area offer everything from computer courses and sign language classes to cooking clubs and concerts. And, I’m sure that the libraries in your neck of the woods probably have a lot of similar experiences for your community. These places are, truly, a gift and I wanted to shine a light on it. Not only can you expand your knowledge but you can make friends in the process too. This is very evident every time Val meets a new pal at her story times. 🙂

If you are looking for activities to do with your children or with a group of friends as the weather gets colder, then head to your local library. You never know what amazing things you will find!

Have you ever attended any library programs before? What were they? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct5

Sarah’s Vineyard Date Night

Posted on October 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! The fall is when Johnny and I thrive and we have been making the most out of the lovely weather through weekend date days. This typically involves taking OOTD pictures, running an errand or two, and then going out for a late lunch or dinner. It is the best! This weekend, we decided to go to Sarah’s Vineyard for dinner and it was delightful and delicious! Check it out:

There is nothing like some quality time with my main squeeze to lift my spirits and we had a blast at Sarah’s Vineyard. It is a beautiful property and we both haven’t been in years. Also, whenever I have gone with my friends, it’s strictly for the wine and not the food lol! I was so excited because everyone in my neck of the woods raves about the vineyard’s wood fire pizzas and I couldn’t wait to have a slice or ten. 😀

I don’t know about you guys but whenever Johnny and I go out to eat, I look at the menu hours in advance. This gives me ample time to decide what I want because it can be overwhelming to choose from a menu I haven’t experienced yet. It didn’t take me long to know what I wanted from my pre-screening and everything was just as good as I imagined it to be.

For wine, Johnny went with the not too sweet Sweet Elisa, which kind of tasted like church wine but was still pretty tasty. We also got to make use of the vineyard’s bottling service since Johnny haphazardly ordered a full carafe SMH! I was disappointed that my favorite, their white sangria, wasn’t available so I chose the sweetest option, Golden Solstice. It was light, refreshing and much better than my usual Barefoot!

Normally when we go out to a restaurant, we never order appetizers. However, I just couldn’t say no to the Artichoke & Asiago dip. Sign me up for anything that involves artichoke and cheese because I love it oh so much. I’m glad I tried it out and it was SO yummy but I wouldn’t order it again next time. I hate to be the one to complain about prices but I thought ten dollars was steep for the tiniest bowl ever of the dip. Hey, sometimes you just have to live a little. 😀

As our main dish, I got the Margherita pizza and Johnny got the Pepperoni & Banana Pepper. In fact, he’s currently eating his leftovers for breakfast as I write this! Johnny really liked his pizza and I was happy overall with mine. It actually tasted much better the next day. The garlic oil sauce and toppings on mine were so light that my pizza just tasted kind of doughy. Next time we go, I plan on just doing a cheese pizza with a couple of veggies on top and I think that I’ll like that much better.

Johnny and I had such a great time at Sarah’s Vineyard and we are eager to go back – especially since it’s close to our apartment. The vineyard has such a charming, cozy atmosphere and it really is the perfect date night setting!

Where was the last place you went on a date? What is your favorite restaurant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

All In Your Own Backyard

Posted on August 19, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I first started working as an Independent Provider for people with special needs, I was mainly on the evening shift for purely social outings with my clients. For free and fun entertainment, we would often hit up the local libraries in the greater Akron area. Activities ranged from vinyl record clubs to art projects and murder mysteries and it was always a blast.

Now, I work in the mornings and afternoons and provide care under the umbrella of daily living skills. It has been a while since I scoured the library and community websites for outings and I, honestly, kind of forgot how amazing all of our local programs are until this summer. My family has certainly been making the most of them!

This past summer, people in my family have attended numerous events including a watercolor painting class and a Comicon style vendor fair. We have also loved taking my sweet niece to story time almost every week at the library. It is the most adorable little hour filled with books, songs, and crafts. My heart just melted when I took Val last week. ❤

Over last weekend, I experienced one of the best community events I have been to in a while with my dad and Val – the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival. It was held at the Goodyear Heights Metro Park and featured awesome performances by various dance groups. We got to watch a jazz and ballet troop as well as the dancers from ArtSparks, which is a dance group made up of people with special needs. It was SO cool!

The main event of the night was a performance by Pilobolus, a world famous troop. However, we didn’t get to watch them because it was getting close to Valerie’s bedtime. All of the dancers we did see were spectacular but the best part of the night was when the kids in the audience got to take the stage. Val had a blast learning different ballet and jazz moves. She also unintentionally stole the show when she was showing off her newfound skills during another performance lol it was so funny. 😀

After Val learned some dance steps, she said that she would like to take dance classes and that’s what is so wonderful about all of these community programs. Not only do you get to meet new people but you also get to try your hand at new things for free or close to it. Similarly, my mom and I now paint in our free time after the ten dollar watercolor class we took.

Children, teenagers, and adults alike can all benefit from local programs – you just need to know where to look. Library websites, newspapers, and community pages can all point you in the right direction. If you are searching for new activities with minimal funding, then this is the way to go. Explore your community and have fun!

What community events do you like to attend? Have you learned a new skill or hobby recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug11

Sweet Surprises: Funko Fandom Edition

Posted on August 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are constantly surprising each other with little gifts, favorite meals, and upgrades to our Halloween decor. It is always so nice for us to come home to a treat, especially with things being as stressful as they are in my life right now. This past weekend, Johnny went to a convention with my brother at the Akron library that featured all things anime, comics, super heroes, and various fandoms. These are the prezzies that I returned home to:

Although mine and Johnny’s Funko Pop collection pales in comparison to my brother’s, we have our fair share too. Our Funko shelf includes characters from Seinfeld, Diablo, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and the incomparable Bret Michaels from our days of obsessing over Rock Of Love. What a crazy time for TV that was!

The Elvira Funko that Johnny brought home is one that I get. She’s a goddess among mere mortals and everyone should feel lucky to share planet Earth with her. The Igor Karkaroff one, however, was a head scratcher lol. Johnny and I love the Harry Potter franchise but it’s not like Igor is our favorite character of all time. In fact, I feel like we have never even mentioned him in passing when watching the movies. I am so not mad about whatever urge Johnny felt to purchase it, though, because it was such a random funny thing when I walked in the apartment.

Not only did Johnny come home with new Funkos but he also got me a new sticker for my laptop. Lol at it being Hogwarts Castle as the White Castle logo! I adore the book marks he snagged for free from a local artist, Griffie – Kiss for him and movie monsters for me. This was so thoughtful because he noticed that I had an old receipt tucked in a book and thought that’s what I was using to mark the pages. Little did he know that was unintentional and it just happened when I had it in my work bag. Regardless, it was really sweet!

What a guy, am I right? Johnny is such an angel and these Sweet Surprises were just what I needed to put a smile on my face. ❤

What do you like to surprise people with? Which Funko Pops do you have in your collection? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul31

“Weird Al” Yankovic Concert

Posted on July 31, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Wednesday, my dad, brother, Johnny, and I went to see “Weird Al” Yankovic in concert at the Goodyear Theater in Akron. My brother and I haven’t seen “Weird Al” since 2012 during his Mandatory Fun tour and we had an absolute blast! Although we all stayed up way too late on a school night, we would do it again in a heartbeat for two and a half hours of nonstop laughs. Let’s get to it:

As you can see by the pictures, we didn’t have the best seats for The Unfortunate Return Of The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour. We were in the very last row of the balcony! However, this was actually fine by us because it was like having our own little private section and no one was breathing all over us lol. Despite the crappy pictures, we could still see everything perfectly… Except for when the stage lights were blinding us!

The show began with a set by comedian, Emo Phillips, and it was a riot. Him and “Weird Al” have been touring together for years now and he is also one of Johnny’s favorites so it was cool to see him live. He was SO damn funny and one of his jokes was one of the best parts of the night. Emo mentioned there were probably some liberals here and people cheered. Then, he said there were probably some conservatives here and some guy yelled “YEAH”. To which Emo replied with “Oh, okay. Don’t worry – I won’t talk about politics, religion, or science”. I think this guy was looking for some type of confirmation but he got completely MERKED and that’s always nice to see! 😀

After a rousing set by Emo, it was time for Yankovic to take the stage. The very long name of his tour meant that he was going to be performing some of his lesser known hits, which were primarily non-parody songs. He also told us stories about how each song came to be before playing them so it was neat to hear him just talking to us.

The opening number of the set was “CNR” and songs like “Lame Claim To Fame”, “Close But No Cigar”, “I’ll Sue Ya”, “Dog Eat Dog”, “First World Problems”, and “Skipper Dan” were all included. A moving coffee shop rendition of “Dare To Be Stupid” was also performed. We saw him play that during the Mandatory Fun tour and it was even funnier the second time around. That was definitely one of our favorite songs of the show!

To wrap things up before a lengthy encore, “Weird Al” told us about how his biopic “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” will be released in November. He said he didn’t know how to feel about it, though, because there’s already a song that tells his life story… ALBUQUERQUE!!!!! So, obviously, everyone lost their shit and he added all kinds of silly bits to it that included starting the song over from the beginning. It was the absolute best.

An amazing time was had by all at the concert and we must do our due diligence to protect “Weird Al” Yankovic at all costs. The man is a national treasure!! ❤

What is your favorite “Weird Al” song? Who else is excited for his biopic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun25

Date Day!

Posted on June 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! At least every other week, Johnny and I like to have a date day over the weekend before our regularly scheduled game nights. Whether it be going out to lunch or dinner, having a drink at our favorite bar, or shopping around at some of our go to game stores, it’s just nice to be out and about. This past weekend, we decided to go middle class fancy and hit up the Red Lobster before a rousing game of Legend Of Zelda Monopoly:

^^^ Lol, peep that Pablo Cruise shirt! 😀

Johnny and I have a very similar sense of humor and are constantly making each other laugh. When we first started dating, he told me a story about how he went to Red Lobster with a girlfriend and her dad and had a laugh attack about something that no one found funny. He was so tickled by the fake newspaper “The Daily Catch” that his fish and chips was wrapped in and he didn’t even receive a titter from anyone else. He got a huge belly laugh from me, though!

On Saturday, he must have been craving fish and chips something fierce and texted me when I was at my parents if I wanted to go to “The Lob” for lunch. I had no idea what he was talking about and thought it was a new restaurant that had opened so I said sure. When I was informed that it was Red Lobster, I couldn’t deny him his Daily Catch and he had also scoured the menu to make sure there was something that I could eat there as a vegetarian. Such an angel. ❤

We hit up The Lob and I was honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed the food. The cheddar biscuits were out of this world and my pasta dish was delicious with a lemon and garlic sauce. The drinks weren’t bad, either, and I got a Margarita while Johnny went for a Bahama Mama. Unfortunately, his fish and chips didn’t feature The Daily Catch which was the whole point of going but we still had a blast.

In my area of Ohio, the majority of restaurants are chain ones like Red Lobster, Applebees, and TGIFridays. Our date day was such a typical Midwest middle class fancy outing and like everything, we could find the humor in it. Will we be dining at Red Lobster all of the time? Probably not. Will I be excited every time Johnny suggests The Lob now? Absolutely! 😀

What is your favorite chain restaurant? What is a middle class fancy outing for you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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