Tag Archives: blah

Sep23

The Old College Try

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The Old College Try

Hi everyone and happy weekend! So this past Thursday I decided to give going to see a therapist a shot. Things in Lil Red’s world have been anything but perfect lately, so I thought I would try my hand at going to have a chat with a professional for the first time in years. Don’t get me wrong, I have friends that I can talk to when I’m feeling GLUM, but who wants to spend BFF time rehashing the most depressing stuff ever? Not me.

I saw a therapist all throughout high school and shortly after and it always seemed to help. And, I have to say, that it definitely felt good to be able to unload some major burdens onto someone who doesn’t know myself or my family a couple of days ago. I’ve been feeling incredibly overwhelmed and depressed as of late and I’m over it. I’m stressed out constantly and I need to just be able to vent to someone and then get up and walk away from it until next time.

I felt a little bit better after my first hour long session on Thursday, which is way better than feeling one hundred percent miserable. AND I have my appointments scheduled for the rest of September and all of October to work on getting these blues shaken away. I felt pretty proud of myself for actually attempting to do something instead of just wallowing in my own misery until things start to get better. I am definitely looking forward to next week’s session!

I’m giving therapy The Old College Try again and I’m excited to start making some improvements for myself. How do you deal with the major blahs? Has therapy helped you now or in the past? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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Jul15

See You Next Week!

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See You Next Week!

Hello everyone and happy weekend!! I sure hope that all of you are feeling a lot better than I am today. I am in a bit of a rut so I will be on a lifewithlilred hiatus this weekend. BUT, rest assured that I will be back this Monday to bring you all of the latest and greatest. OR maybe even this afternoon or tomorrow if I feel so inclined – you never know!

Tell me good things. What are you up to this weekend? How do you stay positive during a rough patch? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul2

Anti Bath Bomb Blitz

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Anti Bath Bomb Blitz

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! The last of my TJMaxx haul ends on a bit of a sour note because the other bath bomb that I got sucked on ice. When I got the three dolla holla Chocolate Kisses bath bomb by the UK brand, Bomb Cosmetics, I thought that I was in for a treat. Even through the wrapper, the product smelled delicious and I thought that my bath water would turn into a frothy, aromatic delight. Boy, was I wrong. Check it out:

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When I put this bath bomb into the water, it initially smelled SO good. It was like opening a bag of Hershey Kisses and breathing it in before eating every single one of them. Unfortunately, after the two or so minutes that it took the bath bomb to fizz out, the smell disappeared completely. Major bummer.

The chocolatey aroma that I was left without would have almost been okay if anything cool happened to my bath water, but that wasn’t the case, either. The color didn’t change at all and the illusion of chocolate sprinkles seen in the last picture makes the water look more dirty than inviting. Whomp freaking WHOMP. -___-

I can’t say that I’m too upset about this bath bomb disappointment because I was still excited to try it and it was only a whole three dollars. BUT, if I do see more Bomb Cosmetics products at TJ’s, I don’t plan on wasting my money again. Are their other bath bombs better? Maybe. But I wouldn’t risk trying it again when my Chocolate Kisses one failed so miserably.

Although my haul ends with an Anti Bath Bomb Blitz, I still had a blast shopping and trying out my new goodies thanks to TJMaxx! Which bath bomb brand do you prefer? What is the coolest bath bomb that you have ever used? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

If The Shoe Fits: Lust For Life Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Lust For Life Edition

Hellooo everyone and welcome to the rest of my TJMaxx shoe haul in this edition of If The She Fits! And also, TGIF! You guys already know about my undying love for TJ’s so take a look at these two new beauties by Lust For Life and let’s discuss:

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I have been looking for heels with writing on them for what feels like a lifetime. The lettered shoes of my dreams always seem to be in flat or sandal form and we all know that Lil Red does not do flat feet. So when I saw both of these pretty *heeled* babies online, only getting one of them just wasn’t an option.

These ad-lib chunky heels give me life. Cher from Clueless is my spirit animal so when I saw the black pair with her signature phrase on them, they were as good as mine. And the royal blue “Blah Blah Blahs” are a fun change up from my normal all black everything preference. Frankly, if there were more different colors available, I probably would have bought those, too. Color me freaking obsessed.

The fact that my shoes can literally do the talking now is something that I am so in love with. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for shirts with weird or funny slogans on them so having some sass on my shoes is a godsend. A godsend, I tell ya! These heels were a bit more expensive than what I usually pay at twenty-nine dollars a pop, but with the abundance of love that I felt for them, they were well worth the price. They both look and feel well made and their structure is sturdy, so I know that I will have them for a long time! (And, let’s be real, I’d have them for a long time anyways because I’m a total clothing hoarder! #smh)

My new Lust For Life heels are literally everything that I wanted from a worded shoe and I couldn’t be happier. Although they costed a little more than I would have liked, TJMaxx pulled through once again for their most dedicated shopper. ❤

So there you have it, the last of my TJMaxx shoe haul in this issue of If The Shoe Fits: Lust For Life Edition! Who else is rocking the worded shoe trend this summer? Where do you find the best shoes at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun7

Happy 23rd Birthday To Me!

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Happy 23rd Birthday To Me!

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day but more importantly – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! Today is my 23rd birthday, and I’m going to be honest with you: I am so not excited about it. Guyyyys. I feel old. *Let the eye rolling commence*. But seriously, 22 was a good year and I’m not happy about it being over. 23? Oy. That’s half way to 25, which is half way to 30, which makes my heart hurt to think about!

Do I sound like I’m complaining? I swear – it’s not just me! I’ve heard this thought process from SO many of my friends who were super stoked on 21 and 22 and then had the proceeding birthdays feel totally lackluster. So there. BUT, despite not being thrilled about adding another year under my belt, I do love birthdays! Wait…what?

Lol, yeah I love birthdays. The presents, the dinners and drinks out with friends, the overflow of birthday well wishes on Facebook. I love it all! It’s just the aging part that I freaking despise! Honestly, I’m one of those people who celebrate for the entire month and starts saying “it’s my birthday” a week or so before my actual birthday. But, come on. Who doesn’t love having the attention on them from family and friends? And, this year, I really need to embrace the fun side of birthdays to keep me from feeling down about turning the big 2-3. Smh.

So, Happy 23rd Birthday To Me – I guess. -__- I look forward to telling all of you about my birthday celebrations as the month goes on! How did you celebrate your last birthday? What is one of your favorite birthday memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May15

Panty Problems

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Panty Problems

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend and a lovely Mother’s Day if you celebrated! I have to tell you guys, I am having some MAJOR Panty Problems up in here, up in here. Your girl has needed some new panties for a while now and I decided that this was the weekend that I would make the panty purchase. My mom and I were going to go up to Belden Village, which is a mall about a  half an hour away from us in Canton so that I could shop at Aerie and I was really excited!

Unfortunately, no other malls near me have an Aerie, which is a damn shame considering it’s my normal panty stomping grounds. But that always has been okay with me because Belden Village is my favorite mall to shop at. Before my faithful sidekick – MY MOM and I left, she also treated me to an Aerie gift card as an early birthday present so that I could get my panty on. It was basically the sweetest thing ever and I was so ready to hit the road so that I could revamp my panty drawer ASAP.

SO, we got to the mall and we went to Aerie and it was essentially the most disappointing moment in my life because every single panty there was nowhere close to moving me on a spiritual level . Like, seriously? I have this here gift card and have made the trek to the mall and literally Not. One. Single. Panty. spoke to me. I couldn’t believe it.

I have never not had good luck at Aerie when it comes to panties, but here I was being surrounded by these…these…panty imposters with a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and NOTHING to spend it on. I was in shock. I was disappointed. And I was simply beside myself in mourning for the current uselessness of my gift card and the fact that my panty drawer would be none the better that night.

We walked out of Aerie and I felt dejected and defeated but I figured that we might as well look at Victoria’s Secret, since we were at the mall. I’m not a huge Vicky S fan when it comes to panties. Frankly, I think that they’re an absolute rip off – but at this point, I felt like I needed something and Victoria’s Secret beckoned me into their pink and black emblazoned store with the promise of severely overly priced panties. And like a sheep walking into the slaughter, I entered the store.

Oh, Victoria’s Secret. A store full of sexy little underthings for prices that you could probably buy a kidney with off of the black market. Don’t get me wrong – all of my bras are from Vicky S. I’m just a ballin on a budget kind of gal. I’m more than willing to shell out for a nice bra but panties are just a different story, which is why I’ve always shied away from purchasing them from Victoria’s Secret. But, there I was, Angel Card in hand and a whole store of panties to pick from…

And I hated all of them. Every single panty there that was on some type of a promotion did nothing for me. Similar to Aerie, they were all just blah. But guys…guys…I really felt like I needed to buy some freaking panties – so what did I do? I made my way to the most expensive table of panties which were three for thirty-five or something along those lines and began to hunt for the perfect pairs because it was the only table in the store that I even remotely liked.

After about five minutes, the deed was done and I made my way to the register. The total came close to forty dollars and I just had to stare at the price for a minute, like a cow looking on to an oncoming train. And, I swiped my card and exited the store…

Instantly, I felt like I had made a big fat mistake but didn’t say anything until we got into the car and were on the highway. I then made the announcement that “I have no idea why I just bought those”. It was obviously a moment of weakness because I genuinely see no justification in spending forty dollars for three pairs of panties and I ended up returning them at a nearby mall the next day.

Long story short, my Panty Problems have been a source of much grief and woe this past weekend and here I stand, STILL PANTY-LESS. G DMXCN SMZDNCDCLKSANCKMASJM AHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay. Wow, I really needed that. Anyways, I guess the moral of the story is to not buy something because you feel obligated to (ESPECIALLY expensive panties), patience is a virtue, yada yada yada. And I guess I’m just going to have to wait until Aerie’s panties don’t completely suck until I spend my gift card. *Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue.*  Smh. The End.

So there you have it, my Panty Problems for the weekend, which is obvs enough to last a lifetime! Where do you get the cutest panties from? How about the best bras? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

The Three Skills You Need To Get Ahead In Your New Career

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The Three Skills You Need To Get Ahead In Your New Career

It’s a competitive world out there. People are actively discouraged from taking a jump into a new career or to leave their miserable job for a freelance career because there are so few roles out there but with so much competition. The fact of the matter is, is that for anyone that’s unhappy in their job, there is no point in resigning yourself to a life of the mundane blues if that’s not what you want. So if you want to take the plunge away from the work blahs, then all power to you! But before you go into your new life, it’s always best to make sure that you have the right skills. “Skills” is a bit of a vague term in life, but there are three constants that you definitely need to have in your reserves. Know how to implement these three and it will see you through any difficult work situation in the future:

Leadership Qualities: You don’t need to have had experience in running a ship! But when you’re looking for a new role, the brief will be likely to include the phrase “self-starter”. And this may not mean leading a team to victory, but you will need to be able to motivate yourself. And if you can’t motivate yourself, then how can you be expected to motivate anyone else? Learning about leadership opens up so many new doors for you. Knowing the vital skills that it takes to motivate people and knowing the right techniques to achieve results will make you indispensable and a cut above the rest. While you may think that you need to learn by doing, which is a fair assessment, there is a Fresno Pacific Online Leadership Masters program, which you can complete online. People don’t make the most of online courses, and it is possible to complete whole degrees or Masters courses without leaving your home and in your spare time (and in your pajamas!).

Research Skills: Vastly underestimated in any role, the ability to research a topic properly and demonstrate a good working knowledge is something that can take some time to get right. While we all have our own ways of researching a topic, it may be a possibility that you are doing it the long way round. The big trick to researching a topic is to identify the touchstones – i.e. the salient points, before burrowing further into each one. It’s like ironing in some ways; go over each bit once and then thoroughly go across the whole thing.

Interpersonal Skills: Getting along with people is a must in the vast majority of roles. So if you’re searching for a new career as a change from your cubicle where you have been on your own for the last 25 years, it can be a major challenge to start communicating with lots of people again. While we all know how to speak to people, do we really know how to listen? This is a big part of being a leader or being able to work in a team, and it’s all about learning to work with different ages and types of people. The value in developing excellent working relationships is incredibly high. Being an amazing team player is something that rarely goes unnoticed in the working world!

Having the skills above is something that will make you irreplaceable at your next or current career opportunity. Hone in and perfect them and you will certainly be a force to be reckoned with!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Mar24

Creep

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Creep

Okay, let’s all be honest here. We’ve all social media creeped before. Whether it’s on your ex’s new girlfriend or one of your coworkers, social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have given us free range to snoop to our heart’s content. My girlfriends and I have had many a conversation about our in depth creeping sessions and it always provides us with a laugh fest or heart wrenching girl talks about our findings. But what happens when you feel a little too creeped out by someone’s Facebook creeping?

So, on Wednesday my dad and I went to Dairy Queen to get an ice cream cake for my mom’s birthday. The same Dairy Queen that my best friend worked at well over a year ago. It’s not somewhere that I actively frequent except for the handful of times that I’ve stopped in to see her or went with her to pick up her paychecks. And by a handful of times, I mean like three. My dad and I chose the cake that we wanted and probably exchanged a total of twenty words with the employee who was helping us.

Frankly, I was not trying to socialize with anyone because I was totally bumming it that day. Leggings, hoodie, no makeup, and a beanie was my outfit of choice. All I wanted was to get the cake and go and within five minutes we were in and out. BUT, despite my disheveled outer appearance, I could feel the employee looking at me just a little too closely for my liking. Especially since I was basically in my pajamas. Whatever. We left and I didn’t think anything of it until twenty minutes ago.

Today while I was hanging out, I saw that I had a notification from Facebook messenger and it was a message request. Normally, I don’t look through those but I knew the red message circle wouldn’t disappear if I didn’t so I took a peek. And, guess who it was from? None other than the Dairy Queen employee from two days ago with a message reading “I hope you enjoyed the cake. Facebook creeping at its finest.” Ugh. What?

Don’t get me wrong. I am well aware that I am an easily recognizable person. With bright red hair, pasty pale skin, and five nose piercings it’s hard not to be. But really? You’re going to use the five words that I exchanged with you at your place of employment as an excuse to hunt me down on Facebook and shoot me a message? That’s just so unprofessional, inappropriate, and (to be frank) weird in my opinion.

Believe me. I am used to the odd messages, emails, and comments. And I get that I am recognizable enough and somewhat relevant enough on social media to get unwanted attention in my inboxes. But, I don’t know. There was something about this experience that made me feel weird because the person is in such close proximity to me and because our exchange was so incredibly brief.

I’ve never had anyone actively try and find me on social media like that and I didn’t like it. Am I looking too much into this? Probably. But I still have such an initial grimy feeling that I just had to blog it out. I am not trying to put anyone “on blast”, I’m just trying to not feel weird about this! Is it ever appropriate to try and find someone you met while on the job? How would you react to this situation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

(And, as always, I have no rights to this video, song, or featured image photo!)

Mar12

I’m NOT Lonely

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I’m NOT Lonely

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! So, I’m not sure if those of you who aren’t my friends on Facebook are aware but my year and a half long relationship ended (by me) a few months ago. And, believe me, I’m fine. Even if I wasn’t the one doing the dumping, I think that I would be fine. But, the absence of someone who you used to talk to every day for the past year and a half is a little bit difficult to deal with.

I was having this conversation over drinks with my sister last night and I swear, I must have emphasized to her that “I’m NOT Lonely” at least five times. Because I’m not. Really. However, a void has definitely now been made in my life from the time that I used to spend hanging out with and talking to my former significant other. It’s not a feeling of loneliness but I’m more left with the feeling of “what do I do now?”.

It’s just freaking annoying. Like, when you have a boy or girlfriend, you have a built in social life from it. Dinners, movies, drinks, or just simply hanging out. But, once the break up happens, you are left to your own devices. I guess this wouldn’t be a problem if I had a buttload of friends but, in all reality, I have like three people that doesn’t include my sister that I like to spend time with.

It’s weird, because everyone thinks I’m this little social butterfly – but I’m so not. I’m actually quite shy when it comes to new people. I’m not the girl who’s going to go strike up a conversation with a stranger and I’m definitely not the girl who’s good at making friends. So, that kind of leaves me floundering around trying to figure out what to do next.

The way I’m feeling right now is really conflicting because I am totally content with my social life. I am able to see my girlfriends at least weekly, which is super nice. I love going to the bar, the mall, movies, or whatever with them and we always end up having a lot of fun. So why do I all of a sudden feel like I need a brand new friend group? After typing this out, I guess I am trying to “fill the void”, so to speak. It seems that now, it’s more of a matter of finding productive things to do to help use up some of this newly gained free time. Blogging, planning my Europe travels, et cetera.

Wow. Okay. Good one sided talk, everyone! Glad we had it. So, to emphasize again, I’M NOT LONELY:

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Lolol, JK. I just need to focus on doing some things that make me happy rather than focusing on such an apparent loss of someone’s company. Yeah? Yeah. How have you dealt with the post break up void? Has anyone ever felt similarly to what was described in this post? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

Beat The January Depression At Work: 3 Ways To Bring Nature Into The Workplace

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For many, the month of January in the office feels like the longest and darkest month of the year. While this can be explained by the fact that January means for all going back to work after the Christmas break, there is no denying that offices often experience a low and depressed mood during the time. While you could try to improve the mood by offering a round of hot drinks to your colleagues or bringing cookies at work, for example, there is a better way to visibly and permanently release everyone from their pressure and their dark thoughts: Invite the great outdoors into the workplace. Here’s how to do it!

Use The Digital Force For A Low-Cost Moral Boost:

For people in a workplace, the winter months can feel especially gray and cold, as there is rarely any chance that it’s a nice day outside. All you can see through the window is generally traffic and rain or snow, depending on how cold it is where you are. Besides, as most people are focused on their screens, it is really tricky to remember that there is a life outside of work. Sometimes, a nature-inspired desktop saver can boost your mood, although you need to be careful with those. Using the picture of a sunny beach can only remind people that working in a town in winter feels a lot different to summer holidays. You could also try fireplace videos as a screensaver, as they bring a feeling of coziness that offices often lack. If you want to revive the interests of nature lovers, try some outdoor wildlife apps on your smartphone: They can help your colleagues remember that there is more to the planet than the office desk.

Bring Natural Elements That Can Release Pressure:

Work can be stressful at times and it is important, especially at the beginning of the year, to create a friendly environment that can help workers to let go of their pressure. This is something that you could try with the addition of an aquarium, as the presence of swimming fish in an office is proven to reduce blood pressure and to boost mental concentration. Besides, it’s a lovely feature for the workplace. Additionally, you could consider bringing in office plants that will help to purify the air and boost the moral and the productivity of colleagues. However, picking the right plant can be challenging without gardening knowledge. You need to choose plants that are sturdy and low-maintenance to make sure that your green office doesn’t turn into a plant graveyard!

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Create A Positive Work Decor:

How you decorate a room and how you use the space within plays a significant role in the mood of those who work there. If you are new to the notion of Feng Shui, you should know that this ancient Chinese philosophy focuses on balancing and harmonizing the energies in a room. The basic rules of effective Feng Shui relate to making the most of the natural colors for your furniture and walls, keeping the air fresh and pure, and balancing the natural Yin and Yang forces in the room. While this sounds a little simplistic, the addition of a Feng Shui compliant decor can genuinely help to boost the mood and the productivity of your colleagues at work.