Tag Archives: birthday

Happy Birthday To Me!!

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Happy Birthday To Me!!

Hello everyone!! Today is your favorite Lil Red blogger’s 28th birthday and, I’ve got to say, I can’t believe I used to think that I was old when I was turning 21 lol. This past year has been an amazing one filled with lots of big life events – getting married, moving into a bigger apartment, and lots of come ups at work just to name a few. I am so thankful for the GREAT SUCCESS of last year and I can only hope for lots of the same this time around. 😀

As always, another thing that I am thankful for is being able to share all of these events, musings, and any and everything with all of you! Sitting down to write every morning on lifewithlilred is one of my greatest joys and I love my little internet niche that I have created. I love my dear readers even more, though, and it is so special to me to be able to connect with so many wonderful people all around the world.

My birthday wish is for all of my friends across the blogosphere to have the best year ever full of GREAT SUCCESSES, happiness, and laughter. You mean the world to me and thank you all for being with me for my past eight birthdays. ❤

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!

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Unique Gift Ideas That Are Sure To Satisfy

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Unique Gift Ideas That Are Sure To Satisfy

Some people (Like me!) really enjoy buying gifts. On the other hand, there are quite a few who can see it as a chore, especially when you’re getting something for someone known to be difficult to buy for. In those cases, coming up with something can be a challenge. With a few alternative gift ideas, however, it doesn’t need to be so difficult.

Though you’ll still need to put a bit of effort into it, keeping a few ideas in mind could be more than enough to come up with the perfect gift idea, regardless of who you buy it for:

Musical Instrument:

Instruments are a tried and tested gift for anyone musically inclined. It’s more than worth looking into this and seeing if it’s an option. Taking this approach doesn’t need to be as daunting as it seems as there are more than affordable guitars to choose from. The same can be said for drums and other instruments. If you decide to test this method out, it could also be worth springing for some lessons so they can start playing relatively quickly.

Zen Garden Sculpture:

If your loved one has a garden and takes pride in its appearance, then you could help add onto it. A zen garden sculpture can be an appealing choice, as it shouldn’t take up much space and offers a sense of calm while being visually appealing. You’ll need to make sure that the sculpture fits in with the theme of their garden to make it the perfect addition. If you’re not a fan of a zen sculpture, it could be worth thinking about similar choices.

Personalized Picnic Table Wine Carrier:

If your friend or family member’s birthday happens in the summer, it could be worth choosing something based around that. With the weather being nicer, picnics will become more and more popular for a while. Why not help your loved one take their picnic game to the next level?

With a picnic table wine carrier, you can do precisely that. The good thing about this is that it can be versatile enough to use with various other drinks without any extra effort. Even if it’s not used for a picnic, it can be put to use around the home. It can be a simple and appealing wine rack, for example. If your giftee is a wine lover, it’s more than recommended.

While gift shopping, remember the following:

  • Focus on their interests
  • Practicality can sometimes be better-recommended
  • Listen to them and base your choice on topics they keep bringing up
  • Experiences can be a better option than belongings

Regardless of what you get them, they should be sure to love it because it was from you!

Featured Image By: QuinceCreative from Pixabay

Happy Birthday, Johnny!!!!

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Happy Birthday, Johnny!!!!

Hello everyone!! It is a happy, wonderful day because it is my darling husband’s birthday!! Johnny turns the big 3-3 today and I am so excited to celebrate him even more than usual. My Johnny is the best husband, blog husband, friend, and partner in crime that a gal could ever ask for and I am so lucky to be his ol’ ball and chain. ❤

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Ever since our first date, Johnny and I have basically been joined at the hip and every second is an amazing one. Whether we are out and about or just sitting at home, we always have the best time together because we are in our own bubble of happiness and jokes that only we find funny. Speaking of funny or as Johnny would say “funny looking”, he constantly has me in stitches and there have been times when we are laughing so hard we end up crying!

It is never a dull moment with my husband and even the most mundane things end up being an adventure… Five minute drives that I insist on calling “road trips”, grocery shopping, and even housework turns into us just having fun. A prime example of this is when we were moving and I was getting frustrated and Johnny spent a solid minute dancing behind my car before I could make another trip for more boxes. My annoyance turned into belly laughing and it is the image that I think of when I reflect on our moving day.

Our almost three year relationship has been a whirlwind of big events from Johnny’s concerts, family vacations, moving in together, getting married, and moving again. The little things are always what sticks in my mind, though. OOTD shoots, date nights, movie marathons, and even Johnny hovering in the kitchen when I’m cooking tie together the mosaic of our lives with love and lots of laughter.

I love you so much, darling Johnny!

Happy Birthday!!!! ❤

Happy Early Birthday To Me!!

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Happy Early Birthday To Me!!

Hello! I am one of those people who simply cannot wait to give and receive presents for special occasions. I am probably the most impatient person when it comes to that! When Johnny and I first started dating, he was pretty good about waiting until a holiday or birthday for gift exchanges. However, over time, he has adopted my early bird method and gifted me with an early birthday prezzie this past weekend:

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Lol, the answer is: Yes, my husband did buy me a sword cane for my birthday – it is exactly what I wanted! As you guys know, I am extra enough to be carrying around parasols, wrapping myself in faux fur, and wouldn’t be caught dead in the summer without a huge sunhat and sunglasses. A sword cane is yet another thing to be added to this arsenal of extraness and I am SO there for it.

At least once a year, Johnny and I have a Harry Potter movie marathon and this present was inspired by Lucius Malfoy’s cane wand. I remember vividly saying that I loved it when watching The Chamber Of Secrets and Johnny filed it away in his mental rolidex for a gift giving occasion. And, as always, he did really good because my cane is incredibly similar to a one Mr. Malfoy’s.

Johnny, apparently, was just as enamored by this purchase as I was because he accidentally ordered two! Instead of canceling the order, he decided to keep it for himself and we have definitely already had fake sword fights at the apartment. Fear not – the blade is less sharp than a butter knife but we both had a blast getting our imaginary Aragorn on!

As you might know, Johnny’s birthday is on June 1st, our wedding anniversary is June 4th, and my birthday is June 7th. We refer to this as our “birthaversary” and it’s such a monumental week that we can’t help but celebrate early… Especially considering that Johnny has known his gift for the past month – an immersive Sleepy Hollow cocktail event. We can’t wait! 😀

Are you an impatient gift giver like me? How do you like to celebrate special occasions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Here I Am!

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Here I Am!

Hello everyone! It has been a minute since a new OOTD post because your girl needs her hair done! Thankfully, that problem will be solved soon and I can’t wait to show you all some perfectly spring OOTDs ASAP. In the meantime, here are some pics of yours truly and some of my favorite people to tide you over until then:

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^^^ Can you spy one of my new tattoos?! 🙂

This past Sunday, we celebrated our darling niece’s third birthday a bit late because the weather has been wet and cold here. What was originally a party at a park turned into a get together at my sister and her partner’s house and, of course, Johnny and I had to step out in our best. This also meant all of the car selfies as well as pictures of me and Johnny when he refuses to just smile for the camera! *Massive eye roll* lol.

Our Val Gal’s party was a great success and it was so nice to see old friends and meet new ones. Johnny also finally got to meet some of my extended family who I haven’t seen in forever, which was awesome. We were surrounded by good company, good food, and lots of love and it’s safe to say that three year old Val knows how to throw a rager! 😀

Be sure to keep it posted on lifewithlilred for brand new OOTDs, book club reviews, Johnny’s unsmiling face, and all of the usual shenanigans this month. ❤

What do you like to do when your family gets together? Are you a smiling or silly face making selfie taker? 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! Today is a happy wonderful day because it is my big sister, Kristen’s, birthday! Beginning in March until June, it is a whirlwind of birthdays in my family. It starts with my niece, then my mom, dad, sister, brother, and in June Johnny and I celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary, then it wraps up with my blogging bestie. It is such a fun time full of presents, get togethers, and dinners and I can’t wait to celebrate Kristen’s big day together!

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Kristen is the best sister and friend a gal could ever ask for and I am so lucky to be related to her! She is an amazing mom, dog and cat mom, and human being and every time hanging out with her is the best time. I love our trips to Taco Bell, getting ice cream, and adventures at the park with her darling daughter. I can’t wait for summertime so we can all go swimming at my apartment complex again. And, yes, having Johnny pick us up TBell once we’re done at the pool. 🙂

My sister is so kind and it really shows in her parenting and love for caring for rescue animals. Her two cats and three dogs have all been given a second lease on life because of her. As little sis, I’m sure there are plenty of instances of me driving Kristen crazy, especially when I constantly send her Bitmojis but I just can’t help myself lol. I miss her as soon as either of us go home and I am always asking her if Johnny and I can live with her family! 😀

Sisters are built in best friends and I hit the jackpot with mine. ❤

I love you, Kristen!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Hello everyone! Today is a happy wonderful day because it’s my dad’s birthday!! Although he hates celebrating his big day – I sure don’t and it will always be blog worthy in my world. ❤ My dad is the best, funniest, kindest man on the planet and he sure is handsome too. He deserves to be celebrated every day and I am so lucky to be his daughter!

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My dad is a gardening expert, a friend to all of the little woodland animals, and is a vacation planning extraordinaire. He is always cracking a joke and I am constantly in stitches in his company. One of my favorites has to be before I got married and informed him that I just had one last appointment to get my tattoos touched up before the big day. Without missing a beat, he replied with “How about getting some of them removed?” Lol, what a card!

I love my dad’s relationship with my mom and he is such a doting father and grandpa too. Whenever my parents are out shopping, he is constantly on the lookout for new toys and books for my niece! It is so sweet to watch them together. I truly couldn’t ask for a better dad and even though he’s probably annoyed at this post, I think he’ll secretly like it anyways. ❤ 😀

I love you, Dad!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Hello everyone! Today is a special, wonderful day because it is my mom’s birthday! JANE is my best friend and is the best mom in the whole world. I love her so much. My dog loving mom is a hilarious little ball of energy and is such a gift to both mankind and four legged friends alike. She is also the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on:

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Any time spent with my mom is the best time and, even though I only live two minutes away from my family home, it just doesn’t feel close enough! I always tell my parents that I want to move into their basement with Johnny and nine times out of ten I usually mean it lol. JANE was promoted to grandma three years ago and it is such a joy to see her with her grandbabies, although, let’s be real: I will forever be her baby no matter how old I get. ❤

Her and my dad’s relationship sets an amazing example for all of us kids and I always look forward to hearing about the shenanigans that they get into together. They are truly #relationshipgoals! I could go on for forever about all of the things that I love about my mom and she deserves to be celebrated every day. She is kind, intelligent beyond belief, adorable, and the literal definition of beauty and brains.

I love you so much, mom, and I hope you have the best birthday ever! See you later! ❤

Happy Birthday!!! ❤

Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask Edition

Hello! During my last online Sephora Haul, I was able to cash in on my freebie birthday gift right in the nick of time as the month of June was almost over. I went with the LANEIGE gift set which offered a travel sized moisturizer, lip mask, and sleeping mask. Since arriving in the mail, I have used all of these products and can easily say that I would buy a full size of any of them – especially the Lip Sleeping Mask!

This past week, I used the Water Sleeping Mask three days in a row and was blown away by the results every morning. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

When I saw the Water Sleeping Mask by LANEIGE in person, I remembered that I had actually tried it out before. It’s funny, because I was less than impressed in my previous review two years ago. Fast forward to present day and I am freaking obsessed with this mask!

Despite its rich gel texture, the Water Sleeping Mask applies really thin and this is so nice in my hot apartment. It can be unbearable having a thicker product on when I am sweating constantly! A little of it also went a long way and I have barely made a dent in it after three uses.

I was so excited to see the results upon awakening after my first use and when I looked in the mirror, I thought it was a fluke. When I wake up in the morning, I look and feel like the Swamp Creature lol but when I saw myself, my skin was absolutely glowing. It looked so healthy, bright, radiant, and *dare I say* younger! After three uses in a row, I woke up to the same results each morning and couldn’t believe my skin could look that good from just one product.

If you’re looking for instant radiance in the morning, then this nighttime mask is for you! I have no idea how I didn’t experience that during my first test run with the Water Sleeping Mask and am so glad I had the opportunity to try it again. Highly recommend!

Have you used any LANEIGE products before? What are your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask Edition

Hello! At the end of June, I had an online Sephora haul just in time to get my birthday freebie. For my gift, I went with a skin care set by LANEIGE because I have always been interested in trying their products. While I can’t wait to test out the moisturizer and sleeping face mask by LANEIGE, I was most looking forward to using the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask. I see their lip masks all the time at TJMaxx but I could never justify the fifteen dollar price tag. After a few uses, however, I will happily be purchasing a full sized jar because I am obsessed! Let’s discuss:

In a world of skin care that revolves around moisturizers, serums, and eye creams, it is a rarity to find a product solely dedicated to the lips. While I do apply moisturizer to my lips, I have never used a treatment specifically for them, which is why I was so eager to test the Berry Lip Sleeping Mask out. I am very prone to chapped lips and after just three uses I have noticed a huge difference in both the hydration and appearance of my lips.

My first impression of the LANEIGE lip mask was how pretty the seashell pink packaging and product was! It also smelled amazing – just like the mixed berry Lip Smackers. The jar I received was, of course, a trial size but just a small swiping of it went such a long way and I have hardly made a dent in it after three uses. The texture of the mask is rich and creamy without feeling thick and I have been applying a small amount after my nighttime skin care routine every other few days.

When I used the Lip Sleeping Mask for the first time, I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning to see the results! After washing it off, I couldn’t believe what I saw and felt. My lips had never felt so hydrated and cared for before and they looked fuller and healthy. I even think that the natural color of my lips has improved too from the berry tinged mask. The best part? My lips still were highly moisturized and had a supple, color tinted appearance after a handful of days without using it.

The LANEIGE Berry Lip Sleeping Mask is literally everything and I never realized how much I needed a product just for my lips until testing it out. I highly, highly recommend it!

What is a skin care essential for you? What are your thoughts on this mask if you have used it before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah