Tag Archives: best husband ever

Sep11

5 Years Strong

Posted on September 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! This past week Johnny and I reached the five year benchmark in our relationship and it has given me all of the warm fuzzies. I still get butterflies every time I see my main squeeze! I am always appreciative of how lucky I am to have my Johnny and this weekend hit different when he spent all day helping me at an event. It was a long day and he didn’t have to by any means, but he did anyway and that means so much. In honor of our five year anniversary, I thought it would be the perfect time to tell a little story about our first date…

Five years ago, I was in bad relationship after bad relationship. When the last relationship ended, I had sworn off dating for a while. I deleted the apps and I was ready to do my thang as a single woman. That is, until Johnny messaged me on Facebook! Normally, the messages I received on Facebook went something like this: “Hey beautiful”, “Hey gorgeous”, and so on and so forth. Johnny’s message stood out from the crowd in the most amazing way: He complimented a pair of shoes I was wearing in a recent photo shoot and asked if they made them in a men’s Chelsea boot. It was so refreshing because he saw my style, appreciated it, and clearly had pretty great style himself.

As we chit chatted away, Johnny asked me if I would like to go for a drink sometime. At this point in my career, I was still working evenings but just so happened to have that night off. We ended up meeting at the Cashmere Cricket, our favorite bar, later that evening. When I arrived at the Cricket, I was SO nervous that I actually walked right past Johnny who was sitting outside. A moment later, he came into the bar and found me and the rest is history. Since our first date, we have pretty much been together every day since and I am the happiest girl in the world for it!

No matter where we are at or what we do, Johnny and I always have the absolute best time just being together. He makes me feel so spoiled and loved every day since we met because it truly was love at first sight. I feel like I can do anything and everything with him by my side and the past five years have been the most wonderful because of my Johnny. ❤

How long have you and your partner been together? How did you celebrate your last anniversary? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Sweet Surprises: Halloween Decor Galore Edition

Posted on August 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Sweet Surprises: Halloween Decor Galore Edition

Hello!! Whenever Johnny and I are running errands, we like to pick up little tokens of affection if we see something that reminds us of each other. It could be a new record, a book, or even a candy bar to share for dessert. Whatever it is, it’s always exciting to return home and say that we have a surprise. This past week, Johnny stopped at Marc’s which is a discount grocery store in our neck of the woods. He had a few odds and ends to pick up as well as this silly little something that was hanging up at my work station once I got home:

As soon as I saw this wine related sign on my computer chair, I couldn’t stop laughing because I knew exactly why Johnny got it. Yes, I do love wine lol. However, the deeper meaning behind it is a nod to one of our favorite Saturday Night Live skits. Long story short, a family is celebrating a special occasion. The children and husband present the mom with wooden signs that have phrases on them. Think “Live, Laugh, Love”. As she continues to open the presents, the phrases get more and more ridiculous. For example, a sign about wine devolves into “I’m a mess and love drinking alone”. We are constantly quoting these segments and Johnny was so pleased to have found something similar and for only a dollar to boot!

This truly goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much you spend on anything, rather it’s the thought behind it. For one dollar, Johnny found spooky decor that reflected one of our running inside jokes and makes me smile every time I see it. My husband was chomping at the bit for me to get home and placed it in a prime position for maximum effect. He knows my routine of going right to the computer after work and had it waiting just for me. As far as I’m concerned, this Sweet Surprise was worth a million bucks because it made me feel like it. I am the luckiest gal. ❤

I didn’t need wine to focus on writing this post, but I sure appreciate the sentiment anyways. Shout out to Johnny for always being the absolute best!

Do you have any signs with funny phrases at home? What is your favorite Saturday Night Live skit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug6

Date Night!

Posted on August 6, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last week was an exhausting one. I spent the entire weekend in bed after coming down with a nasty bug and it made for a work week that seemed never ending as I recovered. By the time this weekend rolled around, I was feeling much better and was ready for some fun. Literally the only thing that kept me going during the week was the reminder that Johnny and I had a Date Night planned for Friday. We were going to do a Middle Class Fancy night on the town of dinner and a movie. Although it didn’t go exactly accordingly to plan, it was still a fabulous outing and just what I needed to shake away the remaining blahs of being sick!

For our date night, we decided that Outback Steakhouse was the move, then we were going to see Long Legs in theaters. Yes, it does seem weird for a vegetarian to revel in going to a steakhouse lol. What can I say, I love their side dishes and the staff is always most accommodating on letting me know what is truly vegetarian friendly on the menu. While Johnny opted for a steak meal, of course, I went with a salad, mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, and a baked potato too. So, basically, just all potatoes and it was divine! We also sipped on tasty cocktails – a margarita for me and the shark themed cocktail seen above for Johnny. It was, admittedly, not that good but we did get a shark souvenir from it which we deemed as the most important thing. 😀

After our dinner, we wanted to go see Long Legs because we are huge horror fans and we haven’t been to a movie in a long time. By a long time, I mean in over a year when we went to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on a Middle Class Fancy date last summer! Unfortunately, it didn’t work out because the movie was playing at the most inconvenient times at every theater we live by. We went to dinner too late for a 5:30 show and we were too tired to kill time until an 8:10 viewing. We are hoping to go see it this upcoming weekend and still had a blast after our dinner date. Once we were home we listened to records, relaxed, and chatted away until an early bedtime to take on the rest of the weekend well rested.

On Saturday we returned to our favorite local spot, the Jenks Building, to check out the new records they got in. Then, we had a lovely visit with Johnny’s family for my father-in-law’s birthday. It was a busy weekend, but a wonderful one. Stay tuned for OOTDs from these outings coming soon!

What was the last movie you saw in theaters? What would you do on a perfect date night? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug5

Fun Date Day Ideas

Posted on August 5, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of my favorite things in the world is to go on Date Days with Johnny. I think dating your partner is so important no matter how long you’ve been together. Johnny and I have been an item for almost five years and I still get those first date vibes whenever we step out on the town. At least a few times per month, we make it a point to go on a date with each other. It could be for a drink at our favorite bar, going to see a show, or just walking through the outdoor shopping center in Cuyahoga Falls. Whatever we do, it is always the best because we’re together having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Want to pencil in a date day with your significant other? Here are some ideas:

Antiquing/Thrifting:

When Johnny and I first started dating, we would often hit up the thrift store. This was especially entertaining because Johnny was playing in a band at that time and we would try and find the most flashy pieces for him to wear on stage. We also went antiquing on a recent date day and it was a hoot. The beauty of thrift and antique stores is that you literally have no idea what you are going to find. It could be something hilarious or something you didn’t know you needed until now. And, as a bonus, whatever you purchase can serve as a wonderful memento of your time together.

Picnic In The Park:

In Ohio, you have to take advantage of the nice weather because you never know when it’s going to completely change on you lol. One delightful way that we enjoy a beautiful day is a picnic and walk in the park. We will grab some to go sandwiches from Subway or Mr. Zub’s, post up at a park bench, then walk off our meal! Date days can be as lavish or laid back as you want and an outing at the park won’t break your bank but will still be incredibly sweet. It’s always nice to get active with your SO and maybe you will end up making a weekly hike part of your schedule!

New Experiences:

Going on dates is all about trying new things. Be adventurous! Check out that museum you’ve been dying to go to, sign up for a cooking class, take some ballroom dancing lessons. Turn your “I wishes” into “I wills” and see where the day takes you. Perhaps you could each write some ideas down for new locations, eateries, and activities and draw from a hat each date day. There’s a chance that you won’t like whatever was chosen and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you shared a new experience together and that creates lasting memories.

Road Trip:

Maybe you’re bored with the same old, same old in your neck of the woods. So go for a drive! Choose a maximum amount of time you would like to travel for and make stops along the way. Visit quaint diners, quirky shops, and scenic areas for lots of pictures. It’s amazing the places you can find when you venture away from your own backyard. Create a playlist for your drive, get ALL of the snacks from the gas station, and see where you end up. You might just stumble upon your new favorite place.

A Day In:

Sometimes, going out is just as fun as staying in! I absolutely love the nights when Johnny and I play board and video games, listen to music, and chat the evening away. Cook a meal together, indulge in some self care, do a craft, and just chill. You will surely find that this time with no other distractions than each other is even better than dining at a five star restaurant. If you are turning your day into something special, it will be no matter what you do!

Johnny and I had a lovely Date Day this past weekend and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Stay tuned!!

What was the best date you have ever been on? How about the worst? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul30

Worst Weekend Ever

Posted on July 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello my darlings!! After achieving the highest of highs last weekend, your girl plummeted to the lowest of lows. I spent every moment of my weekend from Friday night on cooped up in bed with a summer cold from hell and it sucked. It all started with a scratchy throat late Friday afternoon that spiraled into body aches, fever and chills, nonstop nose blowing, and a pounding headache. And, naturally, all of this occurred when I was supposed to work an event with my boss, Tim. It was really disappointing, to say the least.

Rather than spending the weekend posted up at a huge motorcycle event shooting content, I was wallowing in my own pity lol. Johnny refused to breathe the same air as me (For good reason!) so I was lonely and left to my own devices. I was able to work from my phone for a bit, which was nice. A majority of my days, however, was spent watching TV to the point that I was SO sick of watching TV (We’ll discuss the documentaries and movies I watched tomorrow!). The only solace I found was that it was hot AF all weekend and as you all know, Lil Red and the heat does not mix. Granted, I was sweaty all weekend anyways so I definitely would have preferred to be working!

Despite being wicked bored for forty-eight hours and change, I do have to give big ups to my main squeeze. Johnny supplied me with ALL of the blue Gatorade and toast and scrambled eggs when I felt like eating. When he wasn’t keeping the blue on lock, Johnny made me the most disgusting tea with lots of honey. It tasted foul but I actually did feel a little better after drinking it! When he wasn’t providing sustenance for his poor sick wifey, Johnny would visit me from the doorway from time to time. Best of all, he even texted me from downstairs frequently and I genuinely can’t remember the last time he texted me period. Sometimes nice things happen even when you’re feeling like ass. 🙂

I missed a lot of my favorite things this weekend – shooting OOTDs and simply coming alive during events with Tim. This was an unwanted break, to say the least, and I am ready to take this week on and make up for lost time!

What is your cure all for a cold? Have you had to miss out on anything fun from being sick recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul24

Weekend Fun

Posted on July 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! While I absolutely love a lazy weekend, I like a jam packed one even more and this past one definitely fell under that category. As you saw from yesterday’s post, the Asian Lantern Festival which we attended on Friday was spectacular. It was the perfect evening of family fun with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephew and I am already dreaming about going back. The good times kept rolling into Saturday because Johnny and I had a lovely little date day too! Check it out:

We started Saturday out by going to lunch with our downstairs neighbor, Tony. He is simply the best and I view him as my pseudo-grandpa. Johnny, Tony, and myself have an outing at least once or twice a month and it is something we always look forward to. For our lunch date, we went to Pub Bricco which is right down the road from our apartments. It is a charming bar with tasty drink specialties and my all time favorite appetizer – spicy goat cheese marinara with warm pita bread. It is to die for and I have to get it every single time! We were at Bricco for at least two hours sipping on cocktails, chatting it up, and sharing pictures and stories from the past events we spent time at. Tony had a Fourth of July getaway with friends and we couldn’t wait to tell him all about the Asian Lantern Festival. It was a joy. ❤

After lunch, Johnny and I hightailed it out of there to hit up the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls. The Jenks is this amazing staple in downtown CFalls that features handmade goods from local artists, a music venue, bar, and the recently added record room. Johnny went there last weekend on his own and was itching to go back to buy more vinyls for our newly built shelves. We had a blast browsing around and picking out a stack of records that we got for a song. They were only a buck a pop! As we were leaving The Jenks, one of the local photographers with a nearby studio felt inspired enough by us to want to take our pictures (Last two images above). It was so flattering and I felt like a star by my main squeeze in my Date Day best!

To wrap up a wonderful day, I spent four hours gabbing on FaceTime with my blogging bestie. Then, Johnny and I listened to some of our brand new to us records. I got to spend time with some of my favorite people in just one day and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Who is your favorite local artist? What is your favorite restaurant in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul15

Johnny’s Record Shelf

Posted on July 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! One of the gifts that I gave to Johnny for his birthday this past June was a new record player. Oddly enough, we had three in the apartment that were his old relics and none of them worked lol. It has been so nice to have a functional record player again and we have loved playing music and board games and hanging out in our game room. The only thing that wasn’t ideal was housing the records. Johnny’s collection is extensive and by that I mean, he has over three hundred vinyls! Thankfully, Johnny came up with an ingenious solution to this issue and he built it all by himself – and some help from his dad. 🙂 Check it out:

Ever since our new record player arrived in the mail, Johnny got to work by organizing his collection and giving the game room a deep clean. We soon found that no amount of rearranging or condensing was going to give the records a true home, though. So Johnny turned his attention to the closet and decided that it would work perfectly. He definitely had big things in mind because rather than going to the store to buy some shelves, he thought he would make them instead. He took measurements, sketched a plan, bought all of the lumber and supplies, and dedicated a day during our staycation to build them with his dad. Johnny is a handy guy, but this was on a whole other level and I was very impressed!

Johnny’s dad has an amazing workshop and they spent an afternoon cutting, drilling, and doing what needed to be done so Johnny could take the parts home and assemble them with screws. When I returned home from my outing later that day, I found Johnny in the game room putting the final touches on his handiwork. I honestly couldn’t believe my own eyes when I saw it! The shelves were sturdy, fit just right in our closet, and turned the endless crates of records into an actual display. I know I was proud of the accomplishment, but it was even better to see Johnny so proud of it too. He put a lot of time and effort into this project and worked really hard to make it happen. Our game room is the best ever because of it. ❤

The record shelves Johnny built were a win in so many ways. He got to spend time with his dad, our game room looks awesome, and he found a new hobby too. Johnny enjoyed the build so much that he plans on trying his hand at cornhole boards next. I can’t wait!

Have you done any projects around the house recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

Date Day OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo beautiful people and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Date Day OOTD! Johnny and I had some absolutely glorious time off for Fourth of July and it was such a treat. During a normal workweek, we only ever make plans for the weekend. In one week, it was like we squeezed a month’s worth of weekends in and we had a blast! It was so nice to enjoy the summer weather and it was perfect last week. It was never overly hot which is exactly what your favorite vampire couple needs. On Tuesday afternoon we took a stroll through an outdoor shopping center and, of course, I needed to find a brick wall to post in front of for some OOTD shots. And, yes, bloopers too:

JUST STANDING HERE!

Something STANK

Lol, just going to leave this one here!

Foot popping Expectations VS Reality. An expose in four parts:

^^^ The face of sheer concentration lol.

It is a very rare occasion that I call off of work because, first and foremost, I freaking love my jobs and secondly, I am self employed. The whole no PTO thing can be a massive pain! A lament I’ve had this summer is how awesome life would be if we still got a summer vacation lol. Could you imagine three months of nonstop fun?! It would be a dream! Then, Johnny blessedly had a week and change off for the holiday and I knew that it was my big chance for a summer staycation too. I worked a few shifts as well as online, but a majority of our time was spent with our version of fun in the sun.

We did a little bit of this and a little bit of that during our staycay. There was shopping, mini golf, running around the park like crazy people with our nieces, and catching up with our friends. We had some delicious meals out and I had time to cook a delicious meal myself! When we weren’t out and about, Johnny and I spent a lot of time in our game room that he has been working so hard on. We listened to records, played cards and Scrabble, or just sat and talked. It was a novelty to hang out somewhere other than our living room and we were still able to monitor our mischievous little bunnies for maximum safety! ❤

I loved every minute of my staycay with Johnny and am so glad we had the opportunity to have done so. I was able to turn my summer blahs into boo-yeahs and can’t wait for more adventures!

What is something fun you have done this summer? Where is your dream vacation location? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

Date Day!!

Posted on July 6, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week has been so super nice because Johnny and I both had time off from work. We took some time to relax but we mainly jam packed each day with SO many activities. It felt really weird to be having all kinds of adventures when I should have been at work but the good kind of weird! My favorite day of my time off was definitely Tuesday because Johnny and I went on a date day in downtown Cuyahoga Falls AKA the Riverfront. It is such a quaint little area with all kinds of cute boutiques, eateries, and bars. I have wanted to do a shopping day there for so long and it was perfect!

We began our date at the vintage shops and they are plentiful on the Riverfront. Surprisingly, I have never been to any of them before and now that I have, it is a dangerous combination lol. They were fabulous! My favorite one of all had to be A Signature Antiques and I could have literally spent all day and all my money there. A Signature had clothing, accessories, and decor fresh from the 1930s to the 1990s and it was like shopping in a time capsule. Everywhere I looked offered even more surprises with vintage ware that I have only seen in magazines and movies. It was enchanting, to say the least, and I walked away with two simply amazing accessories. I can’t wait for you to see them soon!

After spending time shopping in the past, we skyrocketed into the present. We visited a coffee shop/bar and got cocktails that we were able to sip as we strolled the Riverfront. There were a few other boutiques I wanted to check out but none of them held a candle to the vintage shops. That was okay, though, because it was just about time for our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, to open. The Cricket is where we had our first date and we also went there to celebrate after getting engaged. It is a very special spot for us and we like to go as often as we can. We enjoyed sharing appetizers and the most divine cocktails. A watermelon mojito for Johnny and a pickle martini for me. It was the perfect way to conclude a perfect day. ❤

I loved my Date Day with my Johnny and being able to spend so much time together having fun this week. It will be hard to go back to work, but I will be looking back on our little staycation most fondly!

What is an ideal date day for you? Do you have any favorite vintage shops in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

Best Husband Ever

Posted on June 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! In this day and age, it does not take much for me to feel overwhelmed. I have a lot going on and a ton of responsibilities and I am just one Lil Red, after all! This has definitely been effecting my mood and I just feel exhausted and under appreciated. Needless to say, I am SO looking forward to some much needed time off next week. This Tuesday, however, ended up being a banner day because of my Johnny. It’s not often that this happens, but he offered to make dinner for us and it was exactly what I needed. ❤

I will be perfectly honest – Johnny does not have a ton of recipes in his cooking arsenal lol. He is formidable at using the air fryer, though, and when he asked me if I wanted him to make my favorite of air fried commodities, I was so delighted. For dinner, Johnny made my go to meatless buffalo chicken patties and French fries and it was divine. A simple meal, yes. But it was really nice to be able to chill on the couch and take is easy while Johnny took care of everything. It was incredibly thoughtful and I felt spoiled – he totally clocked that that’s how I needed to feel and accommodated it in the best way he knew how. Taking something off of my plate while also putting something on my plate lol. What can I say, the way to my heart is through my stomach! 😀

Johnny is simply the best and I really am the luckiest gal in the world because of him. He is constantly doing sweet things like this just for me and even on the most stressful days, life is good when I get to come back to our apartment and see him there. He knows that I don’t want or need grand gestures because all of the little things mean so much more to me. It might seem silly, but the most basic meal ever felt like going to a five star restaurant. It was more than enough to make me feel seen and valued. Even more so because I knew that was what he intended and it worked like a charm. What a guy!

Since Johnny was an excellent sport with dinner, I returned the favor by indulging him in watching a WWII documentary together. It was a lovely evening in and I felt way better than I did before. ❤

What is something simple that makes you happy? What do you do when you are in a funk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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