Tag Archives: anything and everything

Aug31

Quelle Surprise!

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Quelle Surprise!

Yoo hoo! As I am self employed, I rarely take a day off or even a half day. Hey, if I don’t work then I don’t get paid because what’s PTO amiright? However, sometimes time off is unavoidable and that was the case this past Monday. My client was feeling unwell so I left about two hours into my shift and decided to head to chez mom and dad’s. They were watching one of my sweet nieces and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity for a play date pass me by. It was a glorious day of seventy degree weather and I couldn’t wait to run around and stretch my legs. After our Columbus Zoo trip last Saturday, Johnny and I literally didn’t move on Sunday so I could have used the exercise lol.

I arrived at my parents’ house as soon as they did and my niece and I went absolutely crazy outside. Bubble crazy to be specific! My parents got my nieces this adorable bubble blower that looks like a French Bulldog and provides beaucoup bubbles with a pinwheel mechanism. We ran and danced through the bubbles for a solid half hour plus. Only pausing for water and juice breaks and adding more bubble soap to the blower! We declared ourselves the Bubble Queens but my littlest Bubble Queen was ready for some lunch.

I stuck around for her meal and some more play, then went on my merry way home. Johnny wasn’t due back for another two hours and I knew exactly how I was going to spend my time: Kicking back and watching America’s Next Top Model AKA my number one guilty pleasure. I couldn’t wait to get home and have some me time and was shocked when I reached our apartment. Johnny’s car was in the parking lot! I was worried he wasn’t feeling well either but that wasn’t the case at all.

When he opened the door, my main squeeze proudly told me he took a half day so he could clean the bunny hutch and surprise me. Quelle surprise! He was also just as surprised that I was home early too! The hutch looked phenomenal and the bunnies were happily romping about with their dad. It was the absolute sweetest and I am the luckiest lady in the whole world. Johnny is the best bunny dad and husband and after my homecoming we enjoyed the rest of our half day together. Johnny played video games while I tucked into the new Rachel Joyce novel and then spent the rest of the day watching our new favorite sitcom, Abbott Elementary. It was the perfect surprise day off followed by a perfect surprise at home! ❤

^^^ What a guy!!!!

Have you had any fun surprises recently? What does a perfect day off look like for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

App Obsessed

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App Obsessed

Howdy! I am a HUGE fan of social media and enjoy posting on my Facebook and TikTok so much. As a word girl through and through, I rarely watch TikTok videos and leave my social media intake to scrolling through Facebook. However, let’s be real – Facebook has become a massive buzzkill and it only gets worse by the day considering the political climate in the USA. Scrolling for fun became doom scrolling and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So, I post a bunch of BS, avoid what upsets me like the plague, and call it a day.

Normally, my social media time is when I get home from work and Johnny is playing video games. We’ll do our own thing, chat about our day, and then go on to having dinner and watching our favorite shows. With my usual source of entertainment on the outs in the past couple of weeks, I have been left with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs. It’s hard to cozy up in my favorite chair with a book when video game noises are reverberating throughout the living room! So, I decided to do something different and downloaded a couple of apps called Finch and Flutter. I had seen several ads for both of them when I was on the hunt for funny memes on FB and figured it couldn’t hurt to give them a go. I’m so glad I did because I have been LOVING them!

Let’s start by discussing Finch. Finch is an app that revolves around mental health and well being as you care for a little bird. After you download the app, it does a mental health screening. What are your challenges? What would you like to improve? Then, it creates goals that revolves around that which will help your bird grow, earn points, and go on adventures. For example, if you struggle with focus, one of your goals might be to turn off your phone notifications when you are working. If you are working through anxiety, your goals could include doing some breathing exercises which the app will walk you through. It’s pretty cool!

When I was little, Neopets was the website to be on and my siblings and I were obsessed with it. In fact, I can remember racing each other after school to the computer room to be the first in line to check on our virtual pets. Having Finch is really like having a pocket pet or Tamagotchi and it hits right in the nostalgia. It might not have the best games ever like Meerca Chase but it is still a lot of fun and fulfilling too! It feels good to check off goals as you complete them and I do feel better when I use it. As a caffeine queen, I have several goals a day to drink more water. And when I spend my mornings working on the computer, stretch break or stepping outside goals come in very handy. It’s nice to check in with my little bird every day and I always look forward to when my Poppy comes home from her adventures to tell me about her new discoveries. Highly recommend! ❤

The other app I have been using daily is called Flutter. Long story short, you are in a lovely forest that plays the most soothing music and your goal is to fill it with moths. You can expand your surroundings with the points you earn, decorate it with flowers and mushrooms to attract different species, and nurture your moths by feeding them pollen and leveling them up. There are challenges to complete like missions the wise owl in the forest sends you on, growing mushrooms for the resident ant, and feeding a gigantic frog fireflies to earn flowers.

Flutter is extremely mindless but incredibly pleasing. Your forest and the music is absolutely charming and it’s nice to watch your moths flit about as you wait patiently for a new one to grow. It’s exciting to continue leveling up because your moths just keep getting better and better and you can learn all kinds of interesting facts as your insect encyclopedia expands. Flutter is definitely not as goal oriented as Finch but I still really enjoy using it. So much so, that I haven’t even tried their butterfly or under the sea expansions because I am so invested in my forest! 😀

If you are sick of doom scrolling during your spare time, I cannot recommend giving Finch or Flutter a try enough. It has been a welcome change of pace from my usual routine!

What is your favorite app? Have you used Finch or Flutter before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar19

Happy Memories

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Happy Memories

Hello!! I am one of those people who opens up Facebook as soon as I get up in the morning. It’s part of my little wake up ritual. I check my notifications, I look at my memories, I complete a French lesson on Duolingo, then I get up and start my day. Sometimes, the Facebook memories are nice. Sometimes, they are a reminder of total assholes (lol). And, sometimes, they are the most cringy statuses I have ever seen in my life!! On March 13th, however, was a very happy Facebook memory indeed. It was the three year anniversary of when Johnny and I got engaged!!

yay

^^^ We look so young!! Also LOL at how big the ring was – definitely needed that resized!

Before I met Johnny, I was in bad relationship after even worse relationships. I had completely sworn off dating after things ended with the guy I was dating before Johnny… Until my now husband asked me out for a drink, of course! It was a real deal instance of love at first sight and we were inseparable after our first date. In fact, we often say that we could have gotten married the day we met and would still be exactly where we are right now. In my heart of hearts, I genuinely believe that to be true.

I hate to admit, but I kind of forgot about our engagement anniversary these past few years because we weren’t engaged for long. We got married less than three months later so that’s the day that is always on my radar. As I said before, Facebook memories can be the worst or they can be the best. Waking up and seeing the picture we took after Johnny popped the question was the most wonderful way to start my day. Johnny and I spent the brief time we have together in the morning reminiscing about it and he was just as surprised by the three year anniversary as I was. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one and I’ll be looking forward to seeing upcoming memories of our wedding prep and day as we approach June 4th and celebrate our birthaversary week. 🙂

Although Johnny and I needed a Facebook memory to remember the actual anniversary of our engagement, we remember the day like it was yesterday. Maybe I’ll have to upload the video of when Johnny proposed soon because it was literally perfect! ❤

Are you good at remembering special dates or do you need reminders? What is something cringy from your Facebook memories today? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

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

Feb20

Surprise Vacation

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Surprise Vacation

Hello!! After writing about my desire to achieve a better work/life balance, I had the opportunity to put my money where my mouth is. However, it wasn’t for a great reason. Unfortunately, my parents tested positive for Covid last Tuesday and I genuinely have no idea where they got it from. Thankfully, both of their symptoms were quite mild and they are on the up and up!

Usually, I am at my parents house almost every day of the week for work or just hanging out. Of course, that wasn’t a possibility while my parents were sick and I miss them and my brother terribly! The first day I couldn’t come over, I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself and the free time that fell in my lap. I felt bad all week that I was lounging in the comfort of my home but I also knew that there was nothing else to be done until there were negative tests all around.

During my Surprise Vacation, I caught up on my sleep a lot. Since the beginning of the new year, I have been waking up between 4:45 and 5 every morning to take care of the bunnies, get myself ready for work, work from home, then go to my other job. It was exhausting but necessary, especially as I started a new online gig. During my break, I was able to sleep in until… Drum roll, please… SIX O’CLOCK and it was awesome! I didn’t know how much I needed that extra sleep until I actually got it and it was just what I needed to rejuvenate myself. The extra sleeping in sessions also made it much easier to get up early again when I had morning clients.

I got a lot of work done online during my staycation and I also had time for extra cleaning, cooking, and enjoying some TV time before Johnny returned from work. You already know I watched lots of Hoarders while Melvin and Penelope romped around their bunny-proofed area. I also binged the first half of the new season of You in one afternoon flat. I can’t remember the last time I was able to do that and it felt so good to have a binge-watching session with a show just for me. Also, can we please talk about how freaking crazy that show is? Lol freaking Joe Goldberg, dude.

As wonderful as my mini work vaca was, I was ready for it to be over each day because I missed being able to hug my parents and brother. I can’t wait for negative tests so I can get back to my normal schedule feeling as refreshed as I have been in weeks!

How do you relax during time off? What did you think of the new season of You? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan20

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone With These Tips

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Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone With These Tips

If you want to live your best life, then getting out of your comfort zone from time to time is a must. Not only does it expose you to new experiences, but it helps you to see that you are capable of much more than you think. Here are five ways to get out of your comfort zone right now:

Travel to a new place:

One of the best ways to get out of your comfort zone in life is to travel to a new place. It could be a different city, state, or even country. Being in a new environment with different cultures, customs, and languages will force you to adapt and step out of your comfort zone. It will also give you a fresh perspective and help you appreciate the things you take for granted in your normal setting.

Try a new hobby:

Another way to get out of your comfort zone is to try a new hobby. It could be something as simple as taking a dance class or as adventurous as skydiving. Trying new things will help you learn new skills, meet new people, and push yourself to do things you never thought you would.

Volunteer:

Volunteering will allow you to get out of your comfort zone and help others at the same time. It can be anything from helping out at a local soup kitchen to working on a community service project. Volunteering will expose you to new people and new environments, and it will give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Take a public speaking class:

Public speaking is a common fear for many people, but taking a class can help you overcome it. Public speaking classes will teach you how to present yourself confidently and communicate effectively. It will also give you the opportunity to practice speaking in front of a group, which will help you build confidence. It could also be useful in helping you to get a new job whether you want to be a PR manager, apply for diesel technician jobs, or become a teacher, so it is one form of getting out of your comfort zone that could really change your life if you let it.

Start a conversation with a stranger:

Starting a conversation with a stranger can be daunting, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. It will help you practice social skills and make new connections. By initiating conversations with strangers, you will also gain a new perspective and learn about different people and cultures.

Getting out of your comfort zone can be challenging but it is also necessary for growth and self-improvement. Remember to always be open to new experiences and opportunities, and don’t be afraid to take risks!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan8

New Year, Same Us

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New Year, Same Us

Hello! One of my favorite things about being married other than annoying Johnny every day for the rest of our lives is the holidays. I am a huge fan of birthdays, holidays, and any occasion that calls for a family get together and being able to double the celebration time with Johnny’s family is such a treat! This past weekend, Johnny and I celebrated our third New Year together and we just had to show out in our best for the handful of people that saw us lol. Check it out:

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As you can see, “act more normal” was clearly not one of our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, we didn’t make any! However, we both have several projects and goals that we’d like to see come into fruition this year. I currently have a rough draft for a children’s book and I am meeting with a potential illustrator in a few weeks. I also would very much like to continue gaining clout with my social media presence and blog. While I am a word gal, Johnny is my music guy and he has plans for a new honky tonk band with two of our musician pals. So, no resolutions per se but lots of exciting things to work towards!

Let’s be real, the past few years have sucked eggs. Since 2020, I have gone into every new year thinking the best and then craziness broke out with the pandemic. This is the first time that I have felt, dare I say, hopeful for a new year ahead of us. It is also nice to kick start 2023 with the major goal of self publishing a book. I have never done anything like that before and I am ready to sink my teeth into a brand new challenge. I also have a very rough draft of a sequel written already and a majority of the writing I did was to the tune of Johnny’s guitar. It’s a match made in heaven. ❤

Maybe I feel a bit better about 2023 because nothing could be worse than the last few months of my 2022 lol. I can’t wait for Johnny and I to have success in these side hustle projects and have my fingers crossed that the curve balls will be kept to a minimum!

What is something that you are looking forward to this year? How did you celebrate the new year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec6

5 Steps To Manage A Sudden Life Change

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5 Steps To Manage A Sudden Life Change

No matter who you are, there will come a point when you are faced with a sudden change in your life. It could be an opportunity to move somewhere to better your career or maybe you’re tired of the same old thing every day, and you’ve found something that could transform that. Whatever it is, you may need to take quick action to ensure you can do it, but this is never that easy. If you’re faced with a sudden change, here are some tips to manage it successfully:

Slow Down:

Sudden change brings a whirlwind of uncertainty. You may have no idea what to do, which means you could make a decision that isn’t right for you or your family. It’s vital to slow down when something unexpected occurs, as this allows you to think and re-calibrate. You can take the opportunity to consider your options from myriad angles, meaning you can find the solution that works best for you.

Speak to Your Family:

You may not want to or should not make this decision alone. When a change arrives, you must ask how any action will affect others. Speaking to your family, your partner, kids, and even your parents, will help you work through your options and consider everyone’s feelings. Your partner may not want to leave their job; your kids may miss their friends; your parents might need you to take care of them. These are all issues you could face when you encounter a sudden change.

Know Your Options:

It’s always useful to know your options, especially if you need to make a quick decision and want assurances that there is no going back. If you have an opportunity to move across the country or another part of the world, use services like sell my house fast so you can generate funds to move elsewhere and remove mortgage and other responsibilities back home.

Consider Alternatives:

There are always alternatives for you and your family to consider when faced with change. If you need to move immediately, you can do so, but your family may not need to move straight away. While it’s challenging to be apart, it helps you settle in and ensure you feel comfortable where you are. If you don’t, you may realize you can return if the opportunity wasn’t all it was made out to be.

Just Go For It:

You won’t get anywhere by deliberating over your options for too long. Sometimes, you may not even have the time to deliberate, so taking a risk might be worth it if you dive headfirst into the opportunity. You never know what life could bring and if you feel like you need a change, this could be what you’ve been searching for all this time.

You never know when a change will come, but that’s okay. You don’t need to predict everything in your life. Sometimes, the unexpected things are often the most exciting. At the very least, these tips can help you deal with change when it comes, so you know the best course of action!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

 

Nov26

Morning Hustle

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Morning Hustle

Hello!! The past month has simultaneously felt like an eternity while also feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day to get anything done. Because I spent most of the afternoons making the drive and visiting a loved one at the Cleveland Clinic, I have turned into a very early bird. My mental alarm clock has shifted to waking up around five thirty every morning and, damnit, I am tired of getting the worm lol.

With no time in the afternoon or evening, every morning has turned into a scramble to jam pack as much as I can in before getting to work. It’s not all bad, though, because it gives me extra time to love on my bunny babies and that is a major bright side! My mornings used to be a leisurely time and I could often squeeze in a few episodes of my favorite animes before setting out for the day. Now, my mornings look like this after waking up:

As soon as my alarm goes off, the grind begins by practicing my languages on Duolingo. I am well over a two year streak and I will be a monkey’s uncle if I break it! Next and, most importantly, I rush down the stairs to take care of the bunnies. This can be a timely process because not only do I have to get them fresh food, water, hay, and leafy greens but I typically have to clean their litter boxes and the surrounding area. It is so nasty but necessary lol the things I do for those precious angels!!

Once Penelope and Mel are taken care of, it’s time to to take care of me. Every morning, I do one hundred and thirty push ups and as awful as that sounds, my day would not feel right without it. Then, it is time to shower, get my skin care on, get dressed and return downstairs to my computer. My days would definitely not be complete without creating daily content on lifewithlilred, doing blog jobs, and catching up on work emails. I also have to pencil in some time to get some Christmas shopping done too!

After the online portion of my morning is done, I tidy up the apartment, cook dinner if I have the time, and prepare my belongings for the day. Then, finally before leaving, I take Penelope and Mel out for a jaunt in the apartment for their rumpus time. It is SO cute to watch them explore and is also a primary factor in getting up way earlier than usual. Just like their mom, they need exercise too and I am more than happy to facilitate their recess. ❤

The Morning Hustle has never been realer and even though it’s exhausting, it sure is fulfilling. I am a creature of habit and schedules and now that this has been my life for the past month, something tells me I won’t be sleeping in too late any time soon!

When do you wake up in the morning? Are you an early bird or night owl? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Updated All About Me

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Updated All About Me

Hello! In September, lifewithlilred celebrated its eight year blogiversary, so I figured it was high time to do an Updated All About Me post. So much has changed since I started my page as a twenty year old college kid – a husband, nieces and a nephew, and becoming bunny parents! Although I can’t say I’m thrilled to be approaching thirty in barely two years, it has been amazing to measure the time here on lifewithlilred. If you are just tuning in or have been a long term reader, here are some fun facts/updates about yours truly:

  1. After wanting bunnies for forever, I finally have them: I have always thought that having pet bunnies would be the best thing since sliced bread and it really is! Johnny and I are so obsessed with Penelope and Mel (a mother and son duo) and we have barely had them for over two weeks! Of course, we love their names but they have plenty of nicknames as well. Because, let’s be real, are you really a pet parent if you aren’t calling your pets anything but their real names? 😀

You can catch me calling Penelope:

  • Mama
  • Miss mama
  • Miss lady
  • Mama’s girl
  • Missy miss

Melvin’s nicknames include:

  • Mr. Melvin
  • Mister mister
  • Mister man
  • Mama’s little man
  • Tiny wanderer

2. Johnny and I are the “cool” aunt and uncle: Whenever Johnny and I are asked if we are going to be giving our parents grandchildren, we reply that the best we can do is grandbunnies lol. However, we LOVE being the cool aunt and uncle to our nieces and nephew, Valerie, Raya, and Patrick. They are the sweetest little humans and we revel in treat days when we can spoil them rotten. The best part? When the fun is over, we can give them back!

3. Married life rules: Johnny and I have been together for over three years and have been married for one of them. It’s actually literally no different than when we were dating but it’s still awesome because it was awesome when we were dating lol. The best part is definitely the novelty of saying “husband” and “wife” and I don’t think that it will ever get old. ❤

4. A new-ish apartment: Johnny and I moved into a new apartment in May that is much bigger than our old one but still in the same community we were already living in. Compared to our old place, this one feels like a luxury resort and I still can’t believe it sometimes! Having windows that actually open, a functional air conditioning unit, and better heating is so fantastic that it’s crazy to think about the pure discomfort we were living in before. The best part, however, is having two bathrooms – one on the upstairs floor and one downstairs. This makes me feel like queen of the castle when I don’t have to stumble my way downstairs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. GREAT SUCCESS.

5. The Lil Red lifestyle hasn’t changed: lifewithlilred started out as a place for me to express myself, make some friends, and have fun and that hasn’t changed at all. I wanted to create a space to celebrate uniqueness because it’s safe to say that I’m pretty unique when you look at me! The Lil Red lifestyle is all about being true to yourself and living life in a way that makes you happy. I have tried to embody this since the start of lifewithlilred and am proud to say that I’m still holding to that eight years later.

6. Best jobs ever: When I am not doing freelance writing, I work with people with special needs and it is simply the best. I have been in the field for close to eight years and have been an Independent Provider for almost five of them. Every day, my clients teach me something new and it is such a joy to be an important part of their lives. Having a job where you feel genuinely happy at every day is a blessing that I don’t take lightly and I pay homage to that by being my best self daily for each person I care for.

7. Still a Diet Coke fiend: Diet Coke has always been my all time favorite drink and that has yet to change! Since being with Johnny, I have learned the joys of the Diet Coke from McDonald’s because, surprisingly, I have never had it until a year or so ago. Now, it is such a treat when I can get a real CRISPY DC from Mickey D’s and it’s a wonderful change of pace from the canned Diets that I am constantly guzzling lol. #blessed

While some things in my life have changed drastically, I am still the fun loving, goofy Lil Red that you met eight years ago. Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this crazy ride and here’s to eight more years of lifewithlilred! Although in eight years, I might have to change my page’s name to lifewithmiddleagedred… We’ll see what happens! -_-

What are some cool updates in your life? What are some fun facts about you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah