Tag Archives: bffs

Monday Update: Sister’s Birthday Celebration Edition

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Monday Update: Sister’s Birthday Celebration Edition

Heyyy everyone and happy Monday! This past weekend was SO much fun because it was my sister, Kristen’s, 25th birthday! We had such a wonderful time celebrating and I was really happy because I got to spend her entire birthday with her. Kristen is unbearably hard to shop for, so for her birthday I decided to keep it simple and snag her some gift cards so that we could make a day out of using them. Which is exactly what we did!

I got Kristen a gift card to Sephora and to the nail salon that we go to, so we spent the afternoon girling out with pedicures and makeup shopping. Although I didn’t get a pedi because balling on a budget, I got to soak my nasty feet and sit in a massage chair while Kristen got pampered and we had so much fun chit chatting and laughing with all of our favorite nail techies. Kristen got the Hello Kitty pink polish that I recently got on my nails on her toes and it looked so freaking cute! I can’t say that about my feet, but I’m glad that her toesies are on point just in time for flip flop season!

After pedicures, we went to the mall to ultimately spend what felt like forever in Sephora. I have actually never spent that much time in there before and it was surprisingly really fun. We tried on different lipsticks and browsed through the aisles pointing out ridiculous eyeshadow or lip colors and figuring out the best way for her to spend her gift card. Kristen ended up getting a gorgeous new lipstick and an eyebrow pencil as well as a birthday gift from the store (a blush and lip gloss) and some freebies that she got from cashing in the points on her reward card.

Although I tried on some okay-ish lipsticks, I just ended up going with a tube of the Better Than Sex mascara. Kristen got it for me for Christmas this year and since I’ve ran out, no other mascara can compare, so it was a must to get another one! I was really happy because the gift card that I got her covered everything that she wanted and she also got some super nice freebies, so she walked away with an awesome Sephora birthday haul.

Once we were done shopping, I treated Kristen to coffee and then dropped her off at her apartment so that she could get ready for the evening festivities. Our night was a boozy celebration of going to get margaritas with her friends and then hitting the bars afterwards for some more alcohol related fun. AND I also got to ride in my first Uber, so that was really exciting, lol. THE DRIVER WAS SO NICE!! #ubereverywhere

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(The lovely lady in the second photo, Kelsey, will be featured on lifewithlilred soon so keep your eyes peeled!)

The day after Kristen’s birthday was spent nursing a very worthwhile hangover and celebrating at home with the family. I know I had a blast and it felt really good knowing that Kristen did, too, and I like to think that I helped make that possible! Now, I’m just excited for my birthday to roll around in June so that she can return the favor!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Sister’s Birthday Celebration Edition! How did you celebrate your birthday this year? How did you spend your weekend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

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Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Hello everyone and happy weekend! Today is an amazing, special, wonderful day because it is my beautiful big sister’s 25th birthday! Kristen. My sister, my soulmate, my best friend on the face of the earth. Kristen is someone who my life would be absolutely impossible without. She is someone that I can go to for literally anything. To laugh, cry, complain, or just be there with to pass the time. My sister is one of the strongest women that I have ever met. Ever. She is a survivor, she is brave, and she has proven to herself and everyone around her that she can get through the worst of times and ultimately improve and better herself along the way. If that isn’t the definition of courage, then I really don’t know what is.

Kristen is someone who is kind. She is genuine, she has a huge heart, and she brings so much joy and light to everyone who she encounters. Her smile and laugh is contagious and her beauty is second to none both inside and out. If you can’t tell by now, my sister is my everything. I am so thankful not only for our sisterhood but for the friendship that came from it. You can have someone as a sibling and only view them as such, but Kristen is so much more for me than that.

From outings to the movies, shopping, the nail or hair salon, coffee, dinner, or just binge watching on Netflix, I treasure every minute that I spend with my sister. Don’t get me wrong, she drives me fucking crazy, but isn’t that what sisters do every now and then? And I promise you that she would say the same thing about me, but probably even more so!

The point that I’m trying to get at, is that I am so, so incredibly lucky to have my sister as, well, my sister. I love you more than anything, so here’s to you, you beautiful, fantastic, intelligent, loving, perfect girl. Happy birthday and I can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight!

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Happy Birthday, Kristen ❤

I FREAKING LOVE YOU!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Helloooo everyone and happy Thursday! Today is a wonderful, special, fabulous day because it’s my dad’s birthday!! Although my beloved father isn’t particularly fond of birthdays, I can’t not celebrate my handsome, charming, adoring dad here on lifewithlilred. There’s a saying that talks about how a dad is the first guy that a girl loves or something like that and it is so true because my dad is basically my number one. Let’s discuss all of the reasons why!

From a dry but silly sense of humor that occasionally results in laugh attacks to the compliments and approval that is always special when it comes from my father, my dad is the best. He plans the most wonderful vacations, he has two green thumbs, loves his backyard animal friends, and is always down to watch two episodes of Seinfeld in a row as a “double feature”. CHARLES has excellent taste in music, too. If you were to see him cruising around with his stunner shades on, chances are he’s listening to The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys, The Who, U2, and an abundance of other classics in a rock n’ roll lover’s arsenal.

My dad is just a cool guy. Seriously. So here’s to a man that makes me laugh, smile, feel increasingly warm with love, and, of course, some type of way! I love you, my daddy dearest. Happy birthday!!

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I LOVE YOU, DAD!!!! ❤

Girls Day Out!

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Girls Day Out!

There is nothing more important than sisterhood – women coming together and supporting each other, regardless of color, race, or religion. Us girls need to spend time with each other to remember why we are utterly amazing. Girls tend to build each other up and spending time with other females will help improve your mental health. We are good listeners and very empathetic, unlike men who tend to be more logical and reasoned. They aren’t so keen on listening to us talk our problems over for hours on end; they just want to solve them. Of course, we understand that the only thing able to solve our problems is us! Talking is part of the process. As well as analyzing every text message sent between you and your crush!

With this in mind, spending time with the girls is critical. However, you shouldn’t just stick to girls nights out; experts say that daytime activities with a gang of your sisters are the best way of keeping our mental health in good shape. So here are some fun ideas for you to try next GDO (girls day out!):

Horseback Adventure: Setting new challenges and getting up close and personal with animals is usually something that women love. This is because animals are as empathetic as we are. We feel relaxed around them and at ease. Horse riding is perfect. Think about a few of your mates all jumping on horseback and then heading off for a few hours of chatting and relaxing. Finding a good riding school will save you all the cost of horse ownership, and you won’t have to buy your own riding hats and turnout rugs, you can just turn up, get on, and head out! Make sure to pack a picnic lunch and some cute sunnies!

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HORSIE!!!!!

Shop Till You Drop: What girl doesn’t like retail therapy? We all do! So heading out for a day of shopping somewhere a little further from home could be just what the doctor ordered. A great way of doing this is to take a train to a large shopping center. This way you can all have a long boozy lunch after, and none of you have to worry about driving. Just keep an eye on your bank balance and spend within your limits!

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Pampering Party: How about a spa day? Taking a moment to get completely chilled out and enjoying a massage for some much needed TLC. Most spas will do couples massages where you can be with your loved one. Well, you can enjoy these with your mates, too. Then head into a clay bath and laze the afternoon away lounging by the pool! Chilling at the spa is a brilliant way to catch up with your friends as well as give yourself some love.

Keep your girl pack close and take time out of your schedule to enjoy each other. We know how to make the best out of every moment and how important it is to leave the boy drama behind. Find out what the rest of the girls enjoy doing and get out there. You could even take it in turns to organize a weekend every month. Then, you will get to try out a variety of different things and learn more about your BFF’s interests.

And remember. Sisters before Misters!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! Today is a special day because it’s my mommy’s birthday!! As I’m sure that you guys have gathered by now, my mom is basically my best friend. We love to hang out together, cook, watch movies, go shopping, pet dogs, and play Scrabble. My mom is easily one of my favorite human beings on the planet and everyone who has the honor of knowing her feels similarly. It’s hard not to!

I am so thankful for having a mom who is as funny, smart, wonderful, and perfect as mine. Not to mention how caring, supportive, and encouraging she is. I can always count on good ol’ JANE to be there when I need to talk and am appreciative to have a mother who is a fantastic listener. No matter how my mom and I spend our time together, I always enjoy it because I am seriously in the best of company when I’m with her. I love you so much, mommy!

Happy Birthday!! ❤

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I’ll Be There For You! How To Spend Quality Time With Your Friends

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I’ll Be There For You! How To Spend Quality Time With Your Friends

We all have extremely busy lives – we have jobs, partners, kids to take care of, and a lot of us also have increasingly ageing parents that we need to check in on more and more often. A lot of the time, what we tend to let slide is our friends. And let’s face it: that’s kind of a tragedy. A lot of our friends predate our partners – we knew them from school or college and they’ve been with us through thick and thin (often literally, if you were a sad victim of the freshman fifteen!). It’s important to make sure that you maintain your friendships – they’ll be the ones who help you stay sane as the years go by! Here are some tips to help:

Go For A Specific Activity: If you haven’t seen your friends in a while and you’re worried about what to do with them then why not go for some kind of fun activity? Shopping always works – particularly when you take plenty of breaks to stop for pastries and coffee – although there isn’t really much point in going to see a movie together. After all, when are you going to get the chance to talk then? Relive your youth by going ice skating or maybe even bowling – you can get cheap bowling shoes online or you can rent them at the bowling alley. Anything that’s going to make you laugh will work just fine!

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Is that a DOG I see?!

Cozy Up In Your House: You might have a partner and kids – if so, throw them out for an afternoon and make sure that you spend time with your girlfriends instead. Crack open a bottle of wine or make some great coffee, provide some cake, and get talking. Even if you haven’t seen each other for a while you’ll be sure to find that the conversation flows just like it always did. Remember that it isn’t always important to get your friends caught up on every single second of your life – you won’t have time for that anyway! Instead, talk about ideas, what’s going on in the world, and any feelings or worries that you might want to get out. You’ll feel more free and unburdened afterwards – and if you have young kids your brain will love you for going for some more intellectual conversation than the usual “Yes, you can pet that lady’s dog. No, we can’t take him home with us. Please get up off the sidewalk and stop crying.”

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YUM

Go Away For A Girls’ Weekend: If you’re free and single or if you can leave your kids with your partner for the weekend, there’s nothing better than a weekend away with your nearest and dearest best friends. Go to the nearest city and rent an Airbnb and go dancing all night in heels that you don’t usually wear any more, or take a relaxing spa break together – just make sure it’s the sort of spa that serves plenty of prosecco and chocolate as well as health food! Just be aware that you might not want to get back to your real life once the weekend’s over. But hey, everyone needs a break!

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 Loving the hats!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Give A Little Love To Man’s Best Friend

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Give A Little Love To Man’s Best Friend

Sharing your life with  a dog is probably one of the best things on earth. If you are a dog person, man’s best friend is not said lightly. Dogs really are a part of the family who reward you with love, loyalty, and companionship regardless of the type of person you are, or what kind of mood you are in. They forgive us for forgetting to feed them on time, not wanting to take them out for a walk if it’s raining, and not finding humor in getting mud tracked all over the house. Our dogs give us so much in so many subtle ways, so here is a quick look at how you can say thank you in return, the dog way:

Take Them For a Run: Depending on the type of dog you have, it is likely that running is one of the best things on earth to them. It can be hard to change the routine of a quick couple of sprints around the block but make some time to get out into a huge space where your hound can run around without fear or care of anything else.

The woods is an amazing place for most dogs. Here, they have the freedom to really stretch out their legs and their senses. Dogs adore getting their nose in among all the action. They communicate with other dogs through scent marking and smell so being out in the woods will give them hundreds of stories being told to them in midair. Whilst it’s important to keep your dog under control at all times, try not to keep calling him back to you all the time. You are part of his pack and most dogs will want to keep you on the radar. Just bare in mind that some dogs have a pretty large radar range!

After all that running, let him enjoy sleeping like a king. Dogs love a good nap so invest in something special, like one of these orthopaedic dog beds. Not only will he feel safe and content, but you’ll know that you are helping to ease any aches and pains.

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DOGS! ❤

Play All Day: Just like humans, your dog loves playing. Water is a brilliant place to play, maybe not so much for baths, but rivers, lakes, and seas offer a dog a vast new place to explore. Find a local water spot and, if you are brave enough, wear an outfit that you don’t mind getting wet with. Your friend will love nothing more than playing with you –  Splashing, jumping, and fetching balls until it’s time to dry off and go home.

Teach Them Tricks: Happy dogs are dogs who are learning, Especially puppies. They adore making you happy so performing tasks for you and receiving praise and love puts them in their happy place. Have a look at these cool tricks you can learn with your dog and set aside plenty of time with your new pupil. Make sure that you are extra patient with him just as your BFF is with you.

Treat Time: And, of course, your pup loves a good treat. Get creative with dog treats and put lots of love into them. You can even bake your own wheat free cheese biscuits then sit down together for snack time – with human snacks for you, hopefully!

Featured Image By: Jaymantri

Taco Bell, Lol

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Taco Bell, Lol

Hiii everyone and TGIF! So I had a super fun night with my sister yesterday. Kristen came with me to watch me coach Special Olympics figure skating, then we went shopping in downtown Kent (the surrounding college town), and decided to top off our night with some delicious Taco Bell. This is the part where you go: But wait, I thought you and your sister have both been vegetarians since childhood. And this is the part where I respond with: You can get beans on everything instead of meat!

So, yes, Taco Bell. After we finished our shopping, I was completely starving. It was after seven at that point which is way later than when I’m normally used to eating and I was getting HANGRY. Lucky for us, there’s a TBell right up the street from where we were, so we decided to go there instead of our usual stomping grounds that is closer to home. After making this decision, which I now wish we didn’t make, I was getting really excited. Fantasizing about eating the entire menu, salivating heavily – the whole nine yards of hungry girl problems.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Taco Bell and hurried inside to begin our order. Because I knew exactly what I wanted, I went first and began my litany of the four items that I wanted. As I mentioned before, because I’m a vegetarian, my order consists of asking them to sub the beef for beans after each item. To a seasoned TBell employee, this is no sweat. But to the fresh out of the hiring process girl working the register, it was the most difficult task in the world.

For well over ten minutes, I repeated my order as she tried to put it into the register and doubled back into the kitchen to ask for help. At first, I was like “Okay, I get it. I remember being new at a register based job before, too” and tried to be as kind as possible. But then, the hangryness started hitting me hard and I knew that if I stood there any longer, I would maybe be not so nice. To avoid this problem after the poor girl was appearing to get no help and she was getting visibly frustrated, I told her not to worry about it because there was a Taco Bell so close to my home.

I was so worried that that was rude but I really didn’t want to let my hangryness get the best of me. I also didn’t want to watch the girl struggle anymore since it looked like no one was coming to her rescue anytime soon. So, Kristen and I went back into the car and headed to the Tbell that we live a mile away from. And I have to tell you, it felt really good to be back in familiar territory.

We ordered our food and was then informed by the lovely employee that if we take a survey and mention her and her coworkers that they would get four extra dollars on their paychecks. We also would get free taco coupons for completing the survey. It seemed like a win win, so while we waited for our food, we each took the survey. Just upon completion, our food arrived which included a super special Taco Bell message from a grateful employee for us taking the survey. Lol, take a look:

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^^^ Lololol

All in all, it was a beautiful evening but I still can’t help feeling kind of bad about the new employee at the Taco Bell that we fled the scene from. I hope she finds that her job gets easier soon!! Anyways, Kristen and I still had a lot of fun and just as our secret Crunchwrap Supreme message says, TBell truly does = life.

What happens when you get hangry? Was there a job that you ever had a really hard time getting the hang of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Blogger’s Blooming Business

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Blogger’s Blooming Business

Heyyy guys! When I have a friend who is very dear to me, I always make sure that I am one hundred percent supportive of all of their creative endeavors. One of my beloved blogging beauties, Miss Angela, has been a reader turned friend of mine for quite some time now. I can always look to Angela for rays of positivity and sunshine whether it be on her Facebook page or in my comments section and it always brightens my day infinitely.

Recently, Angela opened her own Etsy shop, Angie’s Bath & Body, which is chock full of amazing homemade and natural bath and body goodies. There are body butters, bath salts and fizzies, sugar scrubs, and so much more to browse through and I promise you that they both look and smell simply delicious! I encourage all of you to take a look at Angie’s Bath & Body and give some love to one of my dear blogging friends and maybe even treat yourself to some new luxury bath and body care! Love you, Ang!

Blogging BFF!

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Blogging BFF!

Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! Over the years that lifewithlilred has been up, I have been lucky enough to make some amazing Blogging BFFs that I keep in touch with pretty frequently. Thanks to email, Facebook, and commenting on each others blogs, it is easy to become fast friends with some of your readers. Today, I got a little post holiday prezzie in the mail from one of my favorites, Carlie, over at Bombshell and wanted to give her a special shout out! I love getting letters and packages in the mail so it was so fun to open this little ditty today:

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Thank you so much again, Carlie, I love it! Please be sure to take a minute to check out her blog and be on the lookout for a collaboration post between the two of us coming soon! Much love. -Sarah