Tag Archives: drinks

Five Rules For The Perfect Game Night

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Five Rules For The Perfect Game Night

If there is one thing that you should be doing at least once a month, it’s hosting a game night. You can switch off with your friends so that you all take turns, but you have to host at least once every single month so that you can enjoy an evening with your friends on your terms. Some people like to make game night an evening thing, with a game of cards and takeout. Others like to make games night one of board game and chips ‘n’ dip.

No matter how you do it, game night needs to be something you’re all going to enjoy and you need to plan it to perfection for that to happen. Game night is all about your friendships, laughter, camaraderie, and total enjoyment of each other’s company. If it’s your turn to host game night, try adhering to the following rules:

Enough Space:

The first thing that you need for game night to go smoothly is the right space. You need enough room for all of you to sit down and if you want to have Pictionary, you need room to be able to get up and draw! Charades requires some moving space, so clear the floor of a room and throw around some beanbags for seating.

Games:

Games night requires games. Break out the board games, pens, and paper for writing things down and a good Word Unscrambler. You need to be able to choose five or six games to play with friends to make your night a successful one.

Snacks & Drinks:

Whether you decide to have your game night outside or inside, you need food and drinks to keep the night flowing. You can choose to make a meal for people to pick at, like a vat of chili and a basket of hot dogs to add, or you can go with the chips ‘n’ dip route. It’s entirely up to you which way you do it. Add drinks – cold and hot, soft and alcoholic – it’s good to have options!

Music:

You need a good playlist for music in the background. You should consider a karaoke machine for when things get a little silly later in the night. You need to think about ensuring that the playlist is a palatable one for all, and keep it low for background music and not blasting through the night.

Prizes:

Not many people do this for game night, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t! You need to think about offering a prize pot for your winners, and you can make it cheap. You can put together prizes from the local dollar stores or you can have a prize pot of cash for the overall winner of the night. If everyone puts in ten dollars, you could have a great prize pot at the end of the night.

Games night: It comes with rules and it’s going to be great!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Brunch Warriors ASSEMBLE!

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Brunch Warriors ASSEMBLE!

Hi! If you’re anything like me, then you never say no to a good brunch. Despite almost always being slightly hungover, I revel in a boozy Sunday brunch complete with hearty breakfast food and fifteen mimosas. Well… more like two mimosas but I definitely think I could polish off fifteen of the most delicious mimosa mash up I’ve ever heard of…

Allow me to introduce you to the Lemonade Mimosa. Yes, you heard it correctly. A mouthwatering sweet/tart combination that I just had to read on about when someone posted the recipe on Facebook. And, let me be the first to tell you, the following recipe that can be found on Delish.com sounds… Delish! Take a look and be sure to visit Delish for more food and drink inspiration to spice up your meals!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus a wedge for rimming
  • 1 bottle champagne
  • 2 c. lemonade or pink lemonade

Directions:

  1. In a shallow dish, mix lemon zest and sugar.
  2. Rim champagne flutes with a lemon wedge and dip in sugar mixture.
  3. Place one slice of lemon inside each champagne flute, bending if needed.
  4. Fill flute halfway with champagne and top with lemonade. Serve.

 

When the weather begins warming up, I need a drink that is crisp and refreshing which is why I usually favor the Moscow Mule. So, what could possibly be better than ice cold lemonade and champagne during a muggy summer morning? The answer is nothing, of course!

Treat your friends to a Sunday morning summer brunch, follow more simple and tasty recipes by Lena Abraham, and you’ll be the hostess with the mostess by the time the second round of Lemonade Mimosas starts being poured!

What is your favorite mimosa flavor? (I love mango!) How do you do Sunday brunch? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works February 2020 Freebie

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Bath & Body Works February 2020 Freebie

Hello! I used to get hella coupons for freebies from Bath & Body Works but then got cut off when they realized I was not buying anything each time! Lol, but after a few recent hauls at B&BW, I am finally back on their mailing list and received my first coupon in ages at the beginning of February. This is great, because who doesn’t like free lotion or shower gel?! Especially when it’s champagne scented! Check it out:

It’s no secret that Lil Red loves her bubbly, so this travel sized lotion in Champagne Toast was the obvious choice. I really like this scent because of how light and fruity it smells. You can easily detect the hints of strawberries and nectarines underneath the fizzy sweet champagne bubbles. I am so glad that they went this route instead of something overly musky because that’s just a future headache waiting to happen… Which would be a hard no from me.

Champagne Toast is a lovely scent for late spring and summer time. Perfect for sharing drinks with your friends during a warm evening spent on the patio of your favorite bar, this crisp scent will have you craving all of the fruity cocktails or a filled to the brim glass of champagne!

What is your favorite drink or cocktail? What is your favorite warm weather fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sweet Surprises: It Doesn’t Take Much Edition

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Sweet Surprises: It Doesn’t Take Much Edition

Hello everyone! With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought I would take a minute to commemorate my darling boyfriend, Johnny, because he so deserves it! As we all know, Lil Red is a huge fan of sweet surprises and I like to show my gratitude for any type of gift that is treated to me with a blog post. So, here we are!

I, myself, am a huge fan of administering surprises even though I’m rotten at keeping my surprise a surprise! I feel like Johnny and I are always picking each other up a little something while we’re out and about whether it be a cool find at a thrift store or just grabbing dinner on the way home from work. Either way, it’s fun giving and receiving small treasures from the one you love best.

As the title of this post states, it really doesn’t take much to make me happy. In fact, just a six pack of tiny Diet Coke cans waiting for me in my fridge once I got home from a long day at work was enough to turn my day around. Let’s discuss:

pop

After my horrible oral surgery gone wrong last winter, I totally lost my taste for pop or coffee and became a fairly avid tea drinker. The harshness of the coffee’s caffeine and the pop’s carbonation was enough to put my stomach in knots, especially since I was used to only drinking the flat chocolatey chalk of Ensure for over a month and a half.

Once I was about four months out from my recovery and sunny days were a norm in Ohio again, the thought of an ice cold can of pop was enough to make my mouth water. And, as a bonus, I was able to drink it without an upset stomach. Back in the day, I was a Diet Coke fiend and could drink six cans a day, easily. Now, I might have one or two cans a week. But, when I do, it always hits the spot.

I haven’t been grocery shopping in a while and Johnny knows that I have been mooching on my mom and dad’s pop stash while I work from their home. So, he picked me up my own little cans when he went to the store after he got off from work. I came home and got a glass of wine from the fridge and he told me to look at the side compartment where my treat was cooling down for me.

I was so tickled because I always say that I could go for a pop when I never have it in the house and nine times out of ten he ends up hearing about it. He stifled my Diet Coke cravings for the time being because he thought of what I might need while he did his shopping. This was such a simple gesture but I felt so loved and taken care of and that’s what made it grand to me.

This Valentine’s Day, remember that it doesn’t matter what your gifts costed or if you can post a picture of the fancy meal you had on Instagram. What is really important is the thought that your partner put into it. I feel lucky that Johnny thinks of me when he’s going about his day to day life when we’re not together and I just know we are going to have the happiest Valentine’s Day together! ❤

What is a Sweet Surprise that you gave or received recently? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Fall Haul: K Cup Reup Edition

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TJMaxx Fall Haul: K Cup Reup Edition

Hello, hello! When I moved into my apartment, my parents gave me the most darling little red Keurig for my housewarming present. It’s basically the cutest and it also matches my little red toaster and general lifestyle perfectly, lol. But, with owning a Keurig means needing a supply of K cups, which I was running low on. Luckily, TJMaxx had my back with a delicious fall flavor. Check it out:

coffee

I am and am not a big coffee drinker. I actually still have some K cups leftover from my initial moving in haul and that was way back in April. However, when I want my caffeine fix, I want it bad and it’s also so nice to have a Keurig when it comes to having friends over. And, can we all talk about how much better Keurig coffee is than the regular old drip in a pot coffee? Because it definitely is. 💁

I knew that I wanted a fall flavor for my next K cup purchase, but I didn’t want to dedicate a whole box of them to pumpkin spice. The Maple Brown Sugar that I went with sounded so good with the perfect touch of sweetness to it so into the cart it went. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good PSL from Starbucks more than anything. But, it’s not my favorite by any means and the Maple Brown Sugar will feel fall like without feeling like overkill. I can’t wait to try it out! 😀

What is your favorite K cup flavor? How do you make your coffee at home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Detoxifying Your Lifestyle

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Detoxifying Your Lifestyle

They say we should treat our body like a temple, but many of us are very good at ignoring that advice. In fact, some of us behave more like our bodies are toxic dumping grounds and completely forget that the things we consume actually have a significant effect on our health and well being. Luckily, if we know what is good and bad for our body, we can make much more educated and healthy decisions. A topic you can read more about in the post below:

Liquids:

There are some things that are good to drink and some that aren’t so great for you. Of course, water is essential, as staying hydrated can not only help you be more mentally alert but can help your body function better all the way down to the molecular level! Be careful, though, because you can have too much of a good thing. In fact, if you go over your recommended daily water amount it can actually make you quite ill.

There are some drinks that you should try to stay away from, as well, or at least minimize your consumption of, due to their toxic nature. These include alcohol, sugary soft drinks, and even caffeinated beverages. You don’t have to give them up entirely if you don’t want to, but they all can have a dehydrating effect. Sugar and caffeine can also cause an increase in anxiety, while too much alcohol is not only bad for the liver but can seriously impair your judgment.

Products:

I know you’re expecting the next section to be all about things you should not eat because they are toxic, but before we get to that, we want to talk about the lesser known issue of products that we use that can have an adverse effect on our health. In particular, makeup, perfume, and cosmetics need mentioning here, because they are nearly always applied directly to the skin and so are easily absorbed by the body. What that means, is that if there is anything nasty in them, it will end up in you!

In fact, recently, there has been a move towards more natural and healthy products in the cosmetic and toiletries industry including non toxic perfume and paraben free toiletries. Using beauty products that are better for you has never been easier.

Food:

Finally, when it comes to food, there are plenty of things that can be toxic if you consume them. However, apart from the basic poisonous plants and berries, there are also other things that you need to watch out for. These include sugar which, while we love the taste is beginning to be thought of like a narcotic style substance that can cause many problems when ingested.

It’s also wise to be mindful of the containers you store your foods in, as some can leach out plastic molecules, which we then end up ingesting. This is something that can lead to a toxic buildup in our system and contribute to all sorts of health problems!

Treating your body as a temple includes being mindful of what you’re putting in it, so use the tips above to detoxify your lifestyle today!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Moving On Up: Keurig Edition

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Moving On Up: Keurig Edition

Hi! I, admittedly, am not the biggest coffee drinker in the world now post surgery. I am much more of a tea type of gal. But, a Keurig was definitely an apartment necessity for when I’m extra tired in the morning or am entertaining guests. I planned on ordering one for myself off of Amazon, but my parents beat me to it and got me a little red Keurig. Check it out:

coffeecoffee1

I am really happy to have a compact Keurig that won’t take up a lot of room in my kitchen, because I don’t have a lot of counter space. This design is just what I need and having it in red was an obvious must! Of course, a Keurig isn’t complete without k-cups, which I purchased at Target.

I got a deal on the Archer Farms brand which made each pack of k-cups seven dollars if you buy two or more so I picked out three delicious sounding flavors in Buttery Caramel, Caramel Macchiato, and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. These will be tasty hot or cold and I can’t wait to serve a cup to my guests!

How do you drink your coffee? What is your favorite k-cup flavor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Moving On Up: Bed Bath And Beyond Haul Edition

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Moving On Up: Bed Bath And Beyond Haul Edition

Hi! Preparing for my move has been a very positive experience for me. In fact, I just hired movers yesterday to help me out during the big day. Thank you, Two Men And A Truck! 😀 I am feeling good, because I pretty much have gotten all of the big stuff that I need to take care of out of the way. Including setting up my internet, electric, the movers, and getting all of the furniture I need. Now, it’s all about the little odds and ends, like some of the following that I picked up from Bed Bath And Beyond:

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I got my dad a salt lamp for Christmas this past year and I liked it so much that I had to get one for the apartment. The lighting in my place isn’t the best, so I’ve been on the hunt for floor and table lamps to help brighten things up. I think that my new salt lamp will look perfect on the vanity I got for my bedroom and will be a great night light, too.

I also picked up some supplies for my bathroom, a toothbrush holder and a value pack of toothbrushes to go with it. I didn’t even know Bed Bath And Beyond sold toothbrushes but they don’t call it Bed Bath And Beyond for NOTHIN! And, finally, my drinking buddies! I bought this pack of drink markers from TJMaxx for my cousin, Laura, who microblades my eyebrows and we both loved them. So, I was insanely happy to have found a pack for myself at BB&B. These cute pool boys will help keep me company in my apartment and will be very handy during my housewarming party. Nobody better pocket theirs, though! 😡

With every shopping trip, I feel more and more prepared for my own place. My credit card is on FIRE but, at least it’s racking up points on Amazon so I can get more stuff! 😀

Which stores offer the best credit card or rewards program? Do you have any silly drink markers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

What The Sbux?

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What The Sbux?

Hiii everyone! Before my surgery, I was all about getting iced coffee from Starbucks. A venti iced coffee with cream and vanilla would be my treat on Monday morning to begin my work week. So, before things went screwy and I was still working, I ordered my usual and went off to a client’s house.

During that visit, I was drinking my coffee (without a straw, a-thank-you) and all of a sudden, my mouth began bleeding profusely. I ran to the bathroom and spent five minutes spitting blood into the sink until I realized that I probably needed gauze. I acquired some and once I thought that it was safe to remove, my mouth began bleeding like a faucet again.

After that fateful incident, I was turned off from coffee and began a green tea kick. But, now, I have grown weary of all green tea everything and am ready to try something new. So, my question for everyone is what do they get from Starbucks? I tried my iced coffee order last week when I was working and it was just not as good as I remember it being. I would prefer something that’s calorie friendly with some coffee in it but not an extreme coffee taste.

THANKS IN ADVANCE!! ❤

What is your Starbucks order? Are you a coffee or tea drinker or both? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

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Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

Hello! During my North Carolina vacation, my brother and sister in law, Peter and Megan, and I went to Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards for a wine tasting. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to explore the vineyards, because it was a rainy day. But, we did get to hide out in their charming bar area, where we got to taste eleven of their wines for ten bucks each. It was quite the bargain and we even got to keep our tasting glass when we were done! Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

 

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Peter, Megan, and I spent an hour or so at Saint Paul’s testing the wines and just hanging out. Although the space appeared big with the beautiful high vaulted ceilings, the gentle glow of the soft lighting created a feeling of cozy intimacy. The rain pelting down outside increased this sensation tenfold and hunkering down with a glass of wine in hand was just right.

Taste testing all of the wines was an informative and delicious process. We got to sample five white wines, three reds, and three dessert wines in that order. Of course, I was partial to the sweet whites and the dessert wines weren’t so bad, either! My favorites were the sweet white Laurel Hill with hints of lychee and guava and the sweet tart blackberry dessert wine, Chestnut Gap Cottage. Peter and Megan enjoyed trying the reds and their favorite was a bold and peppery Cabernet Sauvignon called Chestnut Gap.

It was definitely fun trying all of the wines and deciding which ones we liked best. But, at the end of our tasting, we were unanimous in our opinion that despite enjoying some of the wines, we wouldn’t want to drink an entire glass of any of them. The tasting was absolutely worthwhile and it was an excellent value. It also offered us just enough of each wine to know that a glass full of any would be a less than pleasant experience.

This was just our conclusion and it’s interesting to see how different people pick up on different hints of the ingredients in each wine. So, one that we all didn’t care for could be another person’s favorite from across the bar. I loved spending time with my brother and sister in law and Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards provided us with the perfect space to cozy up for an hour and enjoy each others company. Definitely would recommend!

What is your favorite vineyard in your neck of the woods? Do you prefer white or red wine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah