Tag Archives: Anything & Everything

May18

Car Chase Craziness

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Car Chase Craziness

Hello!! Johnny and I live in an apartment community called Timber Top. It is a sprawling, labyrinth like property and you are, without fail, going to get lost if you’re a first time visitor. Back in high school, Timber Top was the place to be to go stupid with your friends and buy weed lol. Fast forward ten years later and there is still never a dull moment in TTop. In the five years that Johnny and I have lived here, a building caught on fire, we had a carbon monoxide leak in one of the buildings, and there was a tragic pandemic of people literally falling through their stairs. Needless to say, we are used to it by now. However, we were definitely not expecting to cross “high speed car chase” off of our Timber Top Bingo cards!

This past Saturday, Johnny and I were playing games and relaxing after our Mother’s Day celebrations. As we were becoming one with our couch, we heard police sirens in the distance. Now, this is not uncommon whatsoever in Timber Top. It was different this time, though, because there were a lot of sirens blazing and they seemed to be heading right towards our street. As always, Johnny and I are nosey AF so we booked it onto our balcony just in time to see five cop cars chasing down a silver sedan. The car being chased led the cops to our semi-secret back entrance shortcut and we thought that was the end of it… Until five minutes later…

Shortly after Johnny and I settled back in the apartment, I thought I could very faintly hear sirens again. I thought I was just imagining it until they got louder and louder. Johnny and I leaped off the couch and headed back outside because, sure enough, the car chase was still on. In a foolhardy move, the car in question led the cops BACK into Timber Top! After some Smokey and The Bandit style speeding and maneuverability, the chase ended when the driver locked themselves in at a dead end.

At this point, everyone and their brother was outside watching the action too. In fact, people were legit running to see the aftermath and arrest. We were all shook and, thankfully, no one was hurt. After the exhilaration wore down from the spectacle, I couldn’t help but think about the other times the TTop community has come together. Most recently, it was for the total solar eclipse. Three winters ago, us tenants rallied to shovel out our cars from the parking lot after a huge snowstorm. Two summers ago, my entire building came outside to complain together after the Great Kitchen Flood of 2022. Whether it be a car chase or lending a hand or ear you know us TToppers are going to be outside on our porches as soon as it happens!

The car chase was one of the craziest things Johnny and I have witnessed in Timber Top and now my husband can cross “seeing a car chase” off of his bucket list. I wonder what’s going to happen next!

Do you get along with your neighbors? What’s the wildest thing you have seen in your community? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May7

Midweek Date Night

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Midweek Date Night

Hello! Johnny and I have very demanding schedules for work and we both tend to be up around three in the morning most days of the week. Because of this, it is extremely rare for us to do anything during the work week because we are too tired. Not to mention that we both go to bed around six o’clock lol. On Monday, I accepted a new job as Tim Misny’s social media manager. On Tuesday, Johnny asked if I wanted to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Meson, on Wednesday to celebrate. I was absolutely shook when he brought it up and happily accepted his offer!

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All day on Wednesday, I was looking forward to our date night and was using all of my strength to will time into going faster. We left for El Meson as soon as I got home from work and I was buzzing the whole way there. I literally can’t remember the last time we did a dinner date during the week! At the restaurant, we were having so much fun sipping on tasty margs and feeling dizzy with delight over my new opportunity. Our first date was on a Thursday and I told Johnny that this felt like our first date.

After we finished our meal, Johnny asked for a to go cup for the rest of his margarita. I realized I needed one too and followed our server to the bar to ask him for one more. As I returned to our table, I got stopped by a few people sitting at the bar. One of the ladies asked if Johnny and I were on our first date because we both looked so happy. She couldn’t believe it when I told her that we have been together for almost five years and I actually just told Johnny that our evening felt like our first date. We both got a little weepy about it and it was so incredibly sweet. Then, Johnny and I joked that we were just really good at faking our happiness lol – classic!

I truly did have all of the first date feels during our celebratory dinner date and I love that this was apparent to other El Meson patrons. I felt so spoiled to be taken out to my favorite restaurant and am so thankful to have such a stand up guy! ❤

What was the best first date you have been on? 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

Apr29

Turning Thirty (Ahhhh!!)

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Turning Thirty (Ahhhh!!)

Hello!!! June is an exciting month for Johnny and I because we celebrate our birthaversary. Johnny has his thirty-fifth birthday on the first, our three year wedding anniversary is on the fourth, and I will be turning thirty on the seventh. While this is a banner time to be us, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t a tad nervous about turning the dirty thirty. There’s something about not being in my twenties that just doesn’t sit right with me lol!

On Wednesday, my sister came over for a quick visit. She told me that she showed the pictures of my new hair to my niece, Val, and lil bestie had an interesting response to it. She said “Wow, TT looks so young“. And just when I thought I couldn’t love her any more than I already do! This was actually the third or fourth time I have gotten this compliment over the past month when people find out I’m turning thirty. I’ve got to say, I now understand why people love to hear it because it has definitely helped soften the blow of my milestone birthday.

Thanks to the handful of “wow, you don’t look thirty at all” that I have received, I am feeling more okay about June seventh. Yes, it was nice to hear that I don’t look my age. But, it was nicer to hear that my personality doesn’t reflect it either. In my head, I am still a twenty something and I think that’s the most important thing. This is something that I have been reminding myself of because the cliche is so true – you’re only as old as you feel. I think once the initial shock of entering a new decade wears off, I will feel much better. But, for now, I will be using these positive affirmations to get me through and they are already working wonders!

Normally, I am psyched for my birthday. It feels strange to have anxiety about an exciting day, but I think a big party will ease the nerves so I have that going for me!! 😀

How do you feel about your birthday? Which age were you nervous to turn? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Fetch Review

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Fetch Review

Hello!! Way back to last October, I went out to dinner with my bestie at our favorite Mexican restaurant. As we were paying our bill, I noticed she was snapping a picture of her receipt and learned that it was for an app called Fetch. She explained that all you had to do was take pictures of your receipts and you would earn points towards gift cards. So, I signed up, we both got points for her referral, and I was ready to take the Fetch app by storm!

When I first started using the app, I thought it was great! It was exciting to see the points climb with each receipt scanned and you would get a bonus scanning one receipt per day. With your receipt, you could spin a wheel for additional points and that really helped speed up the process. Another thing that made a difference in my point count was occasionally scanning receipts that I unknowingly purchased “featured deals” with. This would normally happen during big grocery shopping trips – one time I got twelve hundred points from one receipt. 😀

Despite constantly increasing my points with almost daily receipts and “spin to win” bonus points, it still felt like I had a long way to go. A ten dollar Amazon gift card alone costed twelve thousand five hundred points! Then, Fetch eliminated the bonus points and my account began moving at a snail’s pace. It took me from the beginning of October to the end of March to get my ten dollar Amazon gift card and it felt like a drop in the bucket for using the app almost daily for over a half a year.

As I have continued using the app, I find myself wondering why I even bother and am probably going to delete it soon. These receipt scan apps are, honestly, more trouble than they’re even worth. If you are consistently referring friends and shopping deals on Fetch, I’m sure it can be a somewhat lucrative tool. However, if you’re like me who has no friends and never shops any of the deals, you are in for a slow going process. Am I happy to have an extra ten bucks on Amazon? Sure. Was it worth saving and scanning receipts for such a long period of time? Meh… Not really.

If you are thinking the receipt scan apps will have you cashing out immediately, it is not like that whatsoever. They sound awesome until you realize how much effort goes into getting one gift card!

Have you used any receipt scanning apps before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar29

1690 Day Blogging Streak!!

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1690 Day Blogging Streak!!

Hellooo everyone!! The other day, I was pretty impressed by myself with my 1250 Day Duolingo Streak. This equals out to be about three and a half years of daily practice! Then, I looked at my amount of days of daily content on lifewithlilred and had an “omg” moment. I am on a 1690 plus day streak which is four and a half full years of every day latest and greatest on my blog! I never pay too much attention to these numbers because I am so used to doing daily practice and writing. As you can imagine it comes as a huge surprise when I do notice and do the math lol.

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Some four and a half years ago, I made the decision to start publishing daily content on lifewithlilred. Rather, I made the decision to do the best I could and no big deal if I miss a day or two. As you all know, I am a very goal and schedule oriented person so that day started the streak with no ifs, ands, or buts for a skipped day. A little bit crazy? Maybe! But I could not be more proud of myself and I look forward to writing every day. It is my release and it’s exciting to have a little corner of the internet that I carved out through this dedication.

Part of the motivation behind this streak came from me, myself, and I. However, a majority of it came from each and everyone of you. The most rewarding thing about blogging for me has always been making new friends. So, even if just a handful of people were reading and interacting, I’d still consider it a great success! lifewithlilred introduced me to one of my best friends almost a decade ago and countless others that make logging in every day a joy – not a chore in the slightest. Every morning, I can’t wait to see my notifications from the blogging community because it is what makes me happiest. A world full of friends that find enjoyment in my page as much as I enjoy writing on it. ❤

I am SO stoked to achieve a five year daily writing streak on lifewithlilred and it makes every day feel like a victory. Thank you to all of you for sticking with me – my blog would not be the same without you!

What is something that motivates you? What goals are you working towards? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

1250 Day Duolingo Streak

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1250 Day Duolingo Streak

Hello!! I have been using Duolingo for so long that I don’t really think about it anymore. It is a staple in my morning routine of wake up, check Facebook, check my email, and practice a French lesson before starting my day. And, as often as I can, I try to do lessons in Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech too. This past weekend, I achieved a milestone streak of 1250 days of completing a lesson on Duolingo and I couldn’t believe it. That’s almost three and a half years!!

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HUZZAH!!!

In case you haven’t noticed, I am a very routine oriented person and it works beautifully for me. Once something that I am committed to becomes part of my schedule, I do everything in my power to keep it going. Duolingo is a perfect example of that because I love to learn new things – especially languages. Learning French is a goal that I have been working on since high school and I am thrilled to still be going strong with it. Although I wish I could practice my other languages more, I don’t have all of the time in the world in the morning and when I get home from work, I just want to sit lol.

Despite not practicing the other languages I am just okay at, I have noticed a better understanding when I hear them spoken. For example, Johnny has been sick with a nasty virus for the past handful of days. When I am sick, I turn to my comfort shows of anime and reality TV. Johnny, on the other hand, is a history buff and has been watching tons of WWII movies and documentaries. Whenever I am around and French or German is being spoken, he always calls me in to translate and I have a very high success rate! It is rare that I have the opportunity to put my language knowledge to the test and I was reveling in it. It made me feel so good that there were a few things in the programs Johnny was watching that he needed my assistance for. That seriously never happens!

I am so proud of my 1250 Day Duolingo Streak and can still barely believe my own eyes about it. It seems like just yesterday I downloaded the app and it has, without a doubt, been a fantastic tool to use. I can’t wait to get to a 1500 day streak – my next big milestone!

Do you use Duolingo? What language(s) are you learning? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar26

Spring Flowers

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Spring Flowers

Howdy!! One of my favorite times of the year is right now. Winter is almost over, the promise of spring is so close, and it feels like anything is possible. The thing I look forward to the most is seeing spring flowers begin to pop up because it just makes me happy. After the grey, snowy days of winter, there is nothing better than seeing beautiful blooms and spring flowers are some of my favorites too. Daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths brighten my day and I always try to take a moment to appreciate them. This past week, I was thrilled to see yellow daffodils in my parents’ yard – even though it was snowing!

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Last week was a bit of a doozy for yours truly. I, unfortunately, had to stop going to therapy because mine and Johnny’s insurance is garbage. As you can imagine, this was really disappointing for me. It felt like I had literally just found a therapist I was comfortable with and then it got taken away. However, there wasn’t anything I could do after paying over seven hundred dollars in under one month. And, on top of that, my beloved Little Red Love Machine started making some crazayyyy noises so it was an expensive repair on top of the medical expenses. Talk about stressful!

As I left my mom and dad’s house feeling not my best, I noticed the daffodils in the yard and couldn’t believe I didn’t see them on my way in. I guess I had my blinders on! Instead of getting in my car and going straight home, I took some time standing as the snow fell to take it in. Even though the flowers were getting snowed on, they were still adding gorgeous color to the world. It was a nice metaphor for what I was going through in that immediate moment. Despite feeling sad, I can still do my best to continue to shine and that made the situation a bit more bearable. ❤

Spring Flowers are short lived and I am glad that I took those extra moments to let that fleeting beauty sink in. I needed some daffodils that day and I left chez parents feeling better than I did before.

What is your favorite flower? What is your favorite time of the year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

Step To It

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Step To It

Hello!!! I am thrilled to be able to have a shift in my schedule because it is so nice to be able to change things up. I have been working a lot more from home starting in January and I also have been doing several transportation shifts as an Independent Provider too. It has been my wish to work as much as I can from home and I’m happy that it’s becoming true! However, you know that whole thing about the Freshman Fifteen? I’m convinced there is one for WFH too lol.

When you work from home, you don’t realize just how sedentary your day becomes. Paired with the frigid temps of winter, I have felt sluggish this past week and I turned to Johnny for inspiration. Johnny works in a factory and has taken great pleasure in monitoring his steps throughout the day. He has been doing an awesome job and it motivated me to start getting active once my work is done for the day.

Although it’s tempting to crash after a long shift, I have been trying to Step To It while Johnny and I watch TV. It might not be the most exciting form of exercise to march in place or walk back and forth across the room. But, it’s the best I can do until it’s warm enough for hikes after work and I feel good about making this change. I have been trying to get to or close to ten thousand steps a day and I can tell it’s working just after a little bit. I noticed an increase in my energy and stamina from merely pacing the apartment and that’s a wonderful improvement for something so simple. 🙂

My next plan of action to assist with the slower paced WFH life is to order a work out ball to sit on while I’m at the computer. It’s another easy solution to boost my activity throughout my shift and I can’t wait to try it!

How do you stay active at home? Where is your favorite place to walk at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Writing Prompts For 2024

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Writing Prompts For 2024

Howdy everyone!! Is it just me or does January feel like an entire year in itself? Lol, it has been rainy and so freaking cold in good old Akron, Ohio and every day has felt like an eternity. I literally just said yesterday that one of my blogging goals was to try lots of new activities and hit up restaurants and stores that are outside of the norm for me. However, I think I will do all of that when I can leave the apartment without getting drenched or frostbite lol. If you are hibernating like me this month, it might be hard to create content so I thought I would share some writing prompts to help the cause. Let’s get to it:

  • What are you most looking forward to in 2024?
  • If you are rocking a “new year, new me” vibe, what is going to be new about you?
  • What is a goal or resolution that you have achieved?
  • What is a goal or resolution that you gave up on?
  • What is something new that you want to try this year?
  • What is something that you are leaving behind in 2023?
  • How would you recap 2023? Did anything amazing happen?
  • Is there anything you really hope to accomplish this year?
  • What does a new year mean to you? Is it inspiring or daunting?
  • Do you plan on making any major changes this year? What are they?

The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and that can be reflected in your content! This is the perfect time to start planning what you want 2024 to look like for you and figuring out the steps you need to take to make it happen. You might find that these prompts will be able to help with that, which is the whole point! This time of the year can be inspiring or it can be writer’s block central. It’s up to you, so make the most of it. 🙂

If you use any of the above prompts, please tag me in the post or shoot me a comment so I can check it out. I would love to see it! ❤

What helps you when you have writer’s block? Does the weather tend to affect your mood or motivation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan15

2024 Blogging Goals

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2024 Blogging Goals

Hello!! We are a few weeks into 2024 and so far so good in my neck of the woods! I can’t remember the last time I made a New Years Resolution, but I do see the merit in setting achievable goals for my blog at the start of each new year. So I guess it’s kind of the same thing? Lol, either way, I always find that setting blog goals keeps me even more motivated to continue sending content into the blogosphere. Last year, I wanted to try and create OOTD posts as often as I could and I think I did a really good job of it! This is something that I definitely want to keep up with as well as the following:

More OOTDs:

My goal last year was to shoot OOTD content each weekend and even though I missed quite a few, I still managed to create more fashion content than ever on lifewithlilred. This was really beneficial to the blog for several reasons. 1) First and foremost, it was a lot of fun. 2) OOTD content gave me two set in stone posts per week for the outfit itself and blooper reel. For someone who publishes daily content, this was a godsend. I will be happy if I can keep up with the pace I established last year so my goal is to keep doing more of the same!

Daily Content:

I have been publishing once a day on lifewithlilred for over four years and it is an amazing achievement! With a streak like that, it is incredibly motivating to keep it up and I simply refuse to break it. Most of the time, it is very easy for me to create posts for my blog. Other times, writer’s block strikes and it can be like pulling teeth! I have two goals this year to help assist in my daily content endeavor and those are: 1) Not to be so hard on myself when I’m feeling uninspired because that just makes writer’s block even worse. 2) To try lots of new things like different experiences, restaurants, and activities to not only enjoy myself but to keep content fresh.

Ten Year Blogiversary Extravaganza:

It will be my ten year blogiversary in September and I am beyond thrilled about it! If anyone were to tell me when I started lifewithlilred that I would still be going strong a decade later, I would have thought it impossible. Yet, here we are and I am so very, very proud. To commemorate this huge achievement, I would love to do a super cute celebratory photo shoot as well as do a few giveaways and contests too. This will be the first time I will be doing something like hosting a contest on my page and I can’t think of a better time to start than a ten year blogiversary. 😀

Interact More:

I have acquired quite a few jobs in the social media field this past year and I feel like I have ignored my newsfeed on WordPress completely. I am not particularly proud of this and it is something that I would like to change. My plan of action will be to spend some time throughout the week exploring new blogs rather than endlessly scrolling through my personal Facebook. The beauty of the blogosphere is making new friends and finding content that inspires you and I definitely need more of that in my life!

Are these goals or New Years Resolutions, who’s to say? But, I plan on sticking with them and I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings for lifewithlilred!

How is 2024 treating you so far? What are some goals for your blog this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah