Tag Archives: enjoy

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

Super Awesome Great Day

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Super Awesome Great Day

Hellllooo everyone and happy weekend! This past Tuesday was one of the best days off that I’ve had in a good long while. To start my morning, I had a work review for one of my jobs and passed with high flying colors. Then, to celebrate, my mom and I went to Target so that I could shop to my heart’s content. Upon returning home, I shopped to my heart’s content on ModCloth – I’m so bad! And, to top it off, we ordered take out from one of my favorite restaurants, Aladdin’s, as a hurrah to cap off a great day.

I have been working a lot lately, and it felt so good to have all of that hard work verified by an excellent review. It was also really nice to spend the rest of the day with my mom, because I’ve been working a lot! We had a blast shopping together and you can check out my haul below and, then, we will go over my new fall pieces individually for the next few days!

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My haul from Target brought me a lot of autumn essentials. Funky jeans, a midi skirt, a kimono, a cardigan, and hoodie that, for the most part, can all be mixed and matched really well! Fall clothes will always be Lil Red’s jam and Target did exceedingly well this year in providing high quality and unique pieces for its shoppers. Be sure to tune in tomorrow as we discuss one of these pretty little numbers in detail!

What is your favorite season to dress for? Describe one of the best days that you’ve had recently. I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Scary Movie Must Watch List

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My Scary Movie Must Watch List

Hello! With October officially among us, it is scary movie central now more than ever. But, who am I kidding, it ALWAYS is for Lil Red! If I get to pick the movie, trust and believe that it’s a scary one every time – they’re my fave! There’s something about cuddling up on a chilly October night that takes watching horror films to the next level, though, and below are my must watch films for the month:

  1. The Nun: I actually already saw this movie in theaters and I enjoyed it so much that I’d like to go again. I love The Conjuring movies and I thought that The Nun was excellent. It was dark, the acting was good, there were some amazing scares, AND it tied into some of the story lines from the first and second Conjuring movies. Two thumbs up.

2. Ils: Ils, aka “Them” in French is hands down my favorite horror film aside from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A fantastic, fast paced flick that comes to a shocking halt when you realize who’s hunting the hunted. I made my mom watch this movie with me years ago and there’s still certain noises that remind her of the film and freak her out to this day. SO. GOOD. Ten thumbs up!

3. The Strangers: Ils actually leads me into my third must watch pick, which is The Strangers. This is the Americanized version of Ils and, although it didn’t get the best reviews upon release, I deeply enjoyed it. I had to include The Strangers on my list, because it recently got added to Netflix and just seeing the movie cover creeps me out. So much so, that I literally had nightmares about it last night and woke up screaming. True story. It’s your classic home invasion story, but I think that it’s done really well and is definitely worth the watch.

4. 31: I LOVE Rob Zombie movies and, although 31 didn’t receive the best reviews, it’s probably my favorite RZ flick. A campy survival of the fittest film where the unfortunate players of the twisted torture porn game of 31 get killed off one by one by crazy clowns. It has an all around humor to the movie and you can tell that Rob Zombie had a ball making it. It’s also pretty scary, to boot!

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: To me, the pinnacle of horror films is the 1974 classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nothing beats it and other than my modern favorite of Ils, it remains untouched by any other movie as my go to flick. It’s raw, it’s intense, and it combines so many elements of really fucked up shit into an actual story line instead of a hodge podge of torture porn. I have seen this movie countless times and it STILL gets me whenever I watch it. It’s the best of the best.

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these movies or trailers.

Listed above are just my top five picks and will without a doubt be watched by me this month. But, I also plan on peppering in some of the following:

  1. Saw 1-7
  2. Eden Lake
  3. The Conjuring 1 & 2
  4. Sinister 1 & 2
  5. The Devil’s Rejects
  6. And, of course, seeing the new Halloween in theaters and watching the original.

What is on your Scary Movie Must Watch List for the Halloween season? What are your thoughts on the movies listed above? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Fall Words – Høst Ord

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Fall Words – Høst Ord

Hello everyone! Today, my friend Christina of Stiina Marie is back to teach us some fall words and phrases used in Norway. If you recall, Christina guest blogged on lifewithlilred a few weeks ago and has been kind enough to return to teach us some more of a new language. As you all know, I personally love to learn different languages, so this post is right up my alley! Thank you so much, Christina! xx

Fall Words – Høst Ord

Today, I am going to teach you various words pertaining to fall that are in Bokmål – the main language of Norway. Read the pronunciation in italics as it would be in English.

There is a slight “R” roll in Bokmål. This is similar to Spanish. To properly learn Norwegian, this exercise is a great start! Try listening to Norwegian movies and music that are already familiar to you. Disney movies are almost always a hit!

Words to Practice:

Rain = REGN reh-gin

Storm = STORM  storm

Cloudy = OVERSKYET ohver-sheeyet

Cold = KJØLIG cher-leeg

Sweater = GENSER gehn-ser

Hoodie = HETTEGENSER heht-teh-gehn-ser

Scarf = SKJERF sh-ehr-ff

Coffee = KAFFE kafffeh

Soup = SUPPE sue-pppeh

Squirrel = EKORN eh-korn

Black cat = SORT KATT sort kahtttt

Owl = UGLE oooog-leh

Acorns = EIKENØTTER eye-ken-nohttter

Tree = TRE treeh

Spooky = SKUMMELT skoooommmelt

Dark (color) = MØRK murrrrk

Sentences and Phrases:

I love fall. = JEG ELSKER HØST. Yuh-eye el-skerr huhst.

I want a cup of coffee/tea. = JEG VIL HA EN KOPP KAFFE/TE. Yuh-eye vil ha ehn kohppp kahffeh/teh.

Pile of leaves = LØVHAUG luhv-haowg

I love to eat! = JEG ELSKER Å SPISE. Yuh-eye el-skerr a speeeseeh.

Any words that you would like to learn that I can help you with? Drop a message below!

Thanks again to Christina for taking the time to teach us something new! What languages can you speak? What do you think is the best way to learn a new language? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

September 2018 Funky Time Jams

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September 2018 Funky Time Jams

Helloooooo! This month, I have still been enjoying listening to my iPod on shuffle when I’m driving or getting myself ready in the morning. Variety is the spice of life, as they say, so things have been quite spicy in my music world if you know what I mean! 😉 😀 Playing my music on shuffle has helped rekindle the flames of some old favorites, and I’ve discovered music that I didn’t even know was on there to begin with! Like some of the following:

(And, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!)

Back in the good old days when I used to work at PacSun, my fondness for all things indie and alternative increased tenfold, because that was the type of music that was played there. This little sampler playlist definitely has some favorites of mine from when I spent over four years as a retail goddess and it’s nice to know that those songs literally never get old, because they never cease to put me in a good mood!

I also had to include two of my favorite songs from the Baby Driver soundtrack on here, which is a must see if you haven’t already. My mom made me put the album on my iTunes because it’s one of her favorites, so it has been showing up when I play my music on shuffle. I am looking forward to exploring more from T.Rex and The Damned so, who knows, maybe some of their other songs will be on next month’s music post! 😀

What songs have you been listening to lately? What is your favorite movie soundtrack? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Magic Of Koselig

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The Magic Of Koselig

Hi everyone and welcome to a guest post brought to you by my friend, Christina, over at Stiina Marie! As a reader of my page, Christina knows that I have a fondness for learning new languages and, today, she is going to teach all of us about the Norwegian term called “koselig”. Read on to find out more!

The Magic Of Koselig

Warm light from candles, a cold breeze, and rustling leaves as you scoop up some stew your friend just made. You take a sip of some beer and talk with your friends about everything and anything. A fire is lit and you hang out well into the night. You get drunk, forgetting that the weather is not so great – or is it? This is Norwegian Koselig.

The more popular sister to Koselig is Hygge from Denmark.“While there’s no one English word to describe hygge, several can be used interchangeably to describe the idea of hygge such as coziness, charm, happiness, contentedness, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness” says hyggehouse.com. Let’s describe it better in pictures:

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Thank you lifewithlilred for allowing me to post about my beloved Norway! Learn more about me and my new life in Norway by following my blog: Stiina Marie. Next time we will learn Koselig words in Norwegian! Any questions? Comment below!

Is there a word or phrase in your country similar to koselig? What is fall like in your country? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Celebrating Mabon

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Celebrating Mabon

Hello! Today, we are going to hear a little something from my darling friend, Carlie, over at Bombshell on Celebrating Mabon. As you will read in this post, Mabon is a Pagan nature holiday that gives thanks to all things fall and it’s something that Carlie enjoys participating in. Carlie will also be back later on this month with more fall and Halloween fun so definitely keep it posted, because she’s awesome! ❤

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Autumn is my favorite time of year for many reasons. The weather starts to get cooler, I love seeing the leaves changing beautiful colors, Halloween aka Samhain, and celebrating “Mabon”. Like Samhain, Mabon is a Pagan nature based holiday that represents the beginning of the Autumnal Equinox. It also signifies the second harvest of the calendar and promotes equality and balance. It’s a very positive time of the year where a lot of people celebrate the changing of the seasons, create their own little traditions, and enjoy nature of course. I hope you all are looking forward to the beginning of Autumn/Mabon as much as I am. This year the Autumn Equinox begins Friday, September 21st. And, if you want to celebrate Mabon in any way, it goes from September 21st to Saturday, September 29th!

How do you welcome the fall season? What is your favorite fall tradition? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

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Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub Review

Hello! For a while now, my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Sugar Scrub has been sitting in my bathroom waiting to be used. Since my birthday in June, more specifically, because it was part of my Beauty Insider birthday treat from Sephora. Don’t ask me why I never used it, because I don’t know. But, I am glad that I held off, because it definitely came in handy last week!

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While I was sick with the flu, my skin suffered because I was so dehydrated. My lips took a real beating, and by the time I was feeling better, they were raw from the cracking and peeling. I was picking at them until they bled (Shame on me!), and there still seemed to be dead skin that I wasn’t getting. So, I enlisted the help of the Bite balm and scrub.

First, I used the sugar scrub to buff my lips and try to remove any excess skin that was hanging on. The scrub tasted great – like sugar and honey. It worked well, too! I let it sit on my lips and rubbed them back and forth for a handful of minutes and they felt awesome after wiping the product off. They were so smooth and a good amount of yucky stuff came off, too. But, not all of the huge pieces of skin that hurt too bad to remove came off.

Instead of trying to take matters into my own hands, I applied the balm. The Agave Balm was nice and thick and I put a generous amount on my lips. Both the balm and scrub had a really tasty honey aroma, and the balm sat really well – no budges or anything. After an hour or so, I checked the progress on my lips and was able to remove the rest of the excess pain free. It also helped take away the stinging pain that comes with severely chapped lips.

My lips felt really good after using the sugar scrub and balm duo. It felt amazing to get them back to feeling normal after being so sick and they were even better than how they were before falling ill. I liked this product, and I would love to make a DIY sugar scrub so that I can indulge in this treat more often. I don’t think that I would purchase the Bite Beauty combination, though, just because a cheaper alternative is definitely out there somewhere!

Who has a good sugar scrub recipe? How do you take care of your lips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

How To Revamp A Boring Backyard

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How To Revamp A Boring Backyard

With summer still going strong, we all want to spend as much time as possible outside. This means that you need to take the necessary measures to revamp your backyard. In the past, the backyard was a space for hanging laundry to dry and a playground for the kids. Nowadays, it is one of the top three areas that need to be renovated to improve the value of your property as well as your lifestyle. Here are some ideas that will help you to give your backyard the boost it needs:

Remodel Your Deck:

You need to remodel your deck if you want your backyard to look tasteful. An outdoor deck will benefit almost any home, whether you use it for entertainment or as a retreat. According to Deck Remodelers, an up-to-date deck will raise the value of your property significantly, which means that you should remodel yours if you are looking to sell your property in the future.

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Lush Greenery: 

Your backyard should be a bright, inviting space where you can play with the kiddos or chill with friends. Liven things up with beautiful blooms, a veggie garden, or maybe even a few fruit trees. Remember, the secret to picture book perfect grass is adequate hydration. For this reason, you might want to consider having an irrigation system installed to keep your grass healthy and looking its best. A well maintained yard is an instant curb appeal booster!

If you struggle to maintain your yard, a lawn service can be invaluable. This is especially great for older folks or people with no green thumb whatsoever! If you are interested in help for your yard, simply search online for a “lawn service Abilene TX” (or your local area) to find a team of pros to keep the outside of your property looking its best.

Add a Fire Pit:

If you want a space where you and your family members can cook and bond, you should add a fire pit to your backyard. You can use a shovel to dig a hole, then line its outer edge to make the fire pit look better. However, if you do not want to dig into your yard, you should buy a metal fire pit that will allow you to burn wood for your bonfire. Portable fire pits like the ones from Go Live Outdoor could also be a great option as you can move it anywhere on your property or even bring it on a camping trip!

Add Lawn Accents and Decorations:

You should opt for accents and decorations that will show off your personal style, such as ceramic animals and an outdoor gas lantern. You can also add wind chimes to tree branches if you want to include an element of music to your backyard. For some nighttime fun, you can place tiki torches to your newly renovated deck.

Cut Around Stones with an Edge Trimmer:

You should use an edge trimmer to cut the grass around stone pathways or walkways to end up with flat edges on your lawn that are uniform in size. To trim, you just have to place your edge trimmer on the side of the walkway before you start pushing it forward slowly. Just make sure that you keep your edge trimmer at the same height all the way to ensure uniformity.

Dive In:

There is no way you will have a boring backyard when you find a team of local professionals for inground pool installation. A swimming pool is synonymous with fun whether you’re taking a dip with your family or hosting a huge pool party. Prior to your installation, be sure to address any requirements from the city that might be needed as a lot of locations require your pool to be fenced in for safety. Dive in and have a blast!

Place Lawn Furniture in Your Backyard:

You should place several pieces of furniture in your backyard to create a calm and inviting atmosphere where people can talk and relax. You will find a wide range of lawn furniture at garden stores and lawn stores, including swings, chairs, and tables. If you have enough space, you should consider adding a retractable pergola system – a roofed structure that gives you an outdoor room and allows you to sit in the backyard on rainy and sunny days no bugs required!

Add a Water Fountain:

You should consider installing a small water fountain next to your flowerbed. This will add some ambient water noises that will have a calming effect on you. If you have the funds, you could hire a company to create a full water fountain in your backyard. You will have many water-feature choices to pick from, so your personal style will not be sacrificed.

If you are thinking about revamping your backyard, the above ideas will help you to get started. An updated backyard will not only increase the value of your home, but it will also make your outdoor space more appealing and fun to spend time in with family and friends.

Scary Movie Mini Haul

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Scary Movie Mini Haul

Howdy! One thing that I love about Target, other than EVERYTHING, is their excellent five dollar movie selection. At the Target that I frequent, they have at least two front and back full length rows dedicated to their DVDs that range from four, five, seven, or ten dollars. During my last trip, I was able to snag two five dollar scary movies that I’ve been hoping to add to my ever growing collection for a while now. Check it out:

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The Babadook and The Conjuring are two horror flicks that I deeply enjoy. And, with fall fast approaching and me getting my apartment in the near future, there is no better time to host some scary movie nights with my friends or boyfriend. Both of these movies are ones that I could watch multiple times and not get sick of, which made the ten dollar purchase totally worth it.

It’s nice to have a collection of my favorite movies readily available for a lazy day or a night in and Target has made that an easy and cheap thing to obtain. I love having tangible movies, books, and games on my person as opposed to an online entertainment cache and nothing beats being able to do that for a whopping five bucks!

Who else has a movie collection? What do you like to collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah