Tag Archives: family

Jan4

Merry Merry OOTD

Posted on January 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hi darlings!! My Christmas break did not really go accordingly to plan because I was sick during a majority of it. Luckily, my family celebrated the holiday later in the week and I was able to rally enough to go and stay in my bubble. We had a wonderful day because my family in its entirety was there. All four kids, our partners, and my three nieces and sweet nephew. It was amazing and is what Christmas is all about! For my holiday outfit, I didn’t want to go too all out because I was wiped out. I did throw a little something something together, though! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Feliz Navidad Sweater: Walmart

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Platform Boots: Dolls Kill

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Johnny and I have loved being able to sport our Tim Misny holiday sweaters throughout December, so I wanted to wear something different for this look. We have quite a few Christmas sweaters to choose from, but my absolute favorite has to be the Feliz Navidad one. Sorry, Tim!! We purchased this years ago from Walmart and I’m not really sure why lol. I think we both just liked it a lot because I can’t recall ever wearing it to a get together with friends! This sweater is everything. It is festive, fun, and bright and I will never not be over the beads, tassels, and hot peppers hanging off of it. 😀

With a sweater this bold, I really didn’t have any other options for pants other than my go to black skinnies. So, we’ll move onto shoes and accessories! For jewelry, there wasn’t any open real estate for necklaces or bracelets. Of course, even if there was I wouldn’t have worn them because of all the bling on the sweater! I opted to keep things simple with my go to pair of gold hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. My sweater offered a lot of movement and so do the earrings so that complimented each other nicely. These earrings are also big enough to hold their own against the sweater and added some lovely length to my neck.

Shoes were next and I was sick of wearing my red Bamboo boots for holiday OOTDs. I decided to go a very different route by wearing my devil horn Dolls Kill platforms instead for a little heaven and a little hell. Mainly, I wore these for the red glitter but privately I wore them to laugh about it in my head lol. I think they added perfectly to the pure over the topness of the sweater and they are definitely the Lil Red version of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Once these babies were on, I was ready to celebrate the holiday in devilishly good style!

My Merry Merry OOTD put me in the holiday spirit, but that was nothing compared to how my spirits soared when I was together with my whole family. I hope all of you had a fantastic holiday too!

How did you celebrate the holiday season? Do you have any fun holiday sweaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan2

Happy Haulidays: Second Family Edition

Posted on January 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Prior to me getting sick on Christmas day, Johnny and I had a wonderful holiday celebration with his parents and aunt over the weekend. It is such a joy to be able to spend Christmas with both of our families and I love the traditions that Johnny and I participate in every year with his. We have a delicious meal, open presents (Including a stocking for each of us on the mantel, which I adore!), and have our annual viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – our favorite! I had never seen that movie until my first Christmas with Johnny’s family and now I think I can out-quote all of them lol. 😀 As always, Johnny’s family is way too generous with their thirty something year old kids and we are so enjoying everything that was waiting for us under the tree:

Every year, Johnny’s mom gifts me with amazing goodies from Hope Soap, which is a local business in Cuyahoga Falls. These products couldn’t have come a moment too soon because I was literally all out of lotion! In fact, I just started using the jar of Fruity Loops Body Nectar last night and it is divine. It smells exactly like Fruit Loops, as I’m sure you all guessed, and I am so there for it. I also received two bottles of the body cream from Hope Soap in Grapefruit & Bamboo and Honey & Almond. The grapefruit scent is zingy and refreshing and the honey one is SO lush and rich. I am very partial to a Honey & Almond fragrance and I can’t wait to use it!

As always, Johnny and I received lots of chocolate to satisfy our sweet tooths and we have been in heaven! Every night since, we have had a piece or two during our viewings of Criminal Minds and it is with sheer willpower and determination that we don’t have everything in one go haha. My favorite gift of all, though, has to be the sweet leopard print shawl that Johnny’s mom got for me. It is just SO damn cute and I am most eager to wear it with my French Rooster cami top. The shawl is soft and cozy, perfectly unique, and such a fun cold weather accessory. I don’t own anything like it whatsoever, making it the ideal gift for me. ❤

Two holiday celebrations make for twice the holiday joy for me and Johnny on Christmas and it is the best gift to be able to spend time with our amazing families!

How did you celebrate the holidays? What is your favorite gift you received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov23

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Posted on November 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! I have ALL of my beloved green bean casserole to eat and I am sure all of you have gatherings to get to, so I will be brief. On this day of being thankful before everyone goes buck on Black Friday, I want to extend my gratitude to my wonderful friends and readers throughout the blogosphere. Your interest, likes, comments, and everything in between is what keeps lifewithlilred going strong and I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you! ❤

I am especially grateful this year to be celebrating the good health of one of my loved ones and to be able to share in this day all together. Last year was trying times, indeed, so it can only go up from here, right?! I am thankful for my darling Johnny, my family, friends, clients, and all of the amazing opportunities my jobs have given me over the past year. I feel so excited for everything that’s yet to come and that is a pretty excellent place to be on Thanksgiving. 🙂

No matter how you spend your day today, have the best day ever. I know I will!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Nov19

veg+ Review

Posted on November 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! My Misnyland weekend was a very eventful one. After hanging out with Tim, Johnny and I visited his parents, then we met up with my sister and her family for dinner. The following day, my mom, Kristen, my nieces, and aunt and uncle hit up a new vegetarian restaurant in my neck of the woods for lunch. The restaurant is called veg+ and it has been open for a few months or so. It’s actually pretty crazy because I just so happen to drive by it almost every day for work and I never noticed it lol. In my defense, the outdoor signage is lacking and I’m more focused on driving than checking out the scenery! Our experience was alright so let’s chat some more:

From the outside, veg+ leaves a lot to be desired but it was quaint and cute in the restaurant itself. We were graciously seated all by our lonesome at a big table in the backroom and that couldn’t have been better. It gave Val and Raya ample room to roam and play while the big people talked and we didn’t have to constantly remind them of their inside voice! Although it was great to have an entire room to ourselves, we were pretty sure that we had been forgotten because it took forever for our order to be placed. Our uncle had to track the waitress down after a solid twenty plus minutes, but she was very sweet as was the other staff.

The menu at veg+ was fairly limited and we all ordered the same thing – either a veggie burger or a hummus wrap. Val got the pretzels and cheese and Raya had some beans and rice. They were also able to make me a mimosa and that was very tasty! When our food arrived we were famished and had to laugh over the ginormous size of the veggie burgers. It would have been impossible to eat them normally so we cut them in half – some being more successful than others lol mine was a hot mess.

The general consensus we all came to was that the food was good. It didn’t blow us away, but it was a nice meal altogether. I liked the sweet potato fries with the aioli sauce the best. The fries were crisp on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside and the dipping sauce was delish. Val’s pretzels were actually the favorite among the table, but the vegan cheese it came with was a very strange texture and we opted for the mustard to dip instead. The veggie burger was just alright. The buns were obviously a bit of an issue and they were a tinge hard. The burger patty itself was also rather dry and there didn’t seem to be any sauce on it. I expected the veggie burger to knock our socks off but, unfortunately, it left everyone less than impressed.

Despite the food not being our favorite, it was so great to be able to get together for lunch at veg+. I wouldn’t be opposed to visiting it again if someone suggested it, but it wouldn’t be my first choice!

What is your favorite type of restaurant to go to? What is your favorite vegetarian dish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

Akron Comicon

Posted on November 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!!! This past Saturday was super fun because my brother, Johnny, and I went to the Akron Comicon. I have been looking forward to this event since last year as I wasn’t able to attend, but Johnny and Andrew had a blast and I couldn’t wait to join in the fun too. We all walked away with SO many goodies and although my wallet was protesting, my heart was very full lol. You can see my purchases later this week so keep it posted for that! Now, let’s take a look at some pics and have a chat:

The Akron Comicon was full of vendors, fans of fandoms, and minor celebrities both local and from afar. Other than being in TJMaxx, I had never seen so many things that I wanted to buy from my favorite shows, movies, and animes. Also, huge shout out to my big bro for letting me borrow his Black Clover T-shirt because I had no anime gear to wear. Although I like to think my boots with the flames on them more than made up for the fact! During our afternoon, we schmoozed, we shopped, and we enjoyed being in the presence of so many people who shared our interests.

As far as celebrities went at the Con, it was a bit of a mixed bag. There were a few ladies who were in literally one scene from Scream, the guy who played Timmy from Lassie? haha and the voice actors from a few seasons of Charlie Brown who played Lucy and Charlie B. The most exciting people we met was our hometown hero from Akron, the Son of Ghoul who hosted a public access horror show. It was also very exciting to get a peck on the cheek from him! We also got to meet Drac and Countess Carita who host Transylvania Tonight, another horror show. Johnny and I have Drac’s artwork hanging up in our living room so it was SO nice to hang out with them for a bit and buy a new addition to our movie monster portraits. They were all nice as can be and I am thrilled to have spent some time with them!

The Akron Comicon was such a hoot and it was wonderful to finally be able to experience it with Johnny and Andrew. I can’t wait for next year’s Comicon and maybe get another smooch from the Son of Ghoul! ❤

Have you ever met anyone famous before? Have you ever attended a Comicon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Disney Princess Party

Posted on October 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Saturday, I spent an adorable time with my sister and sweet nieces attending a Disney Princess Party. The event was held at an arcade bar called The Workz in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and it was a hoot. Kristen and I enjoyed good food and drinks while Val and Raya were awestruck by seeing Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff from Frozen IRL. It was so cute seeing all of the little princesses in their costumes and, yes, I am that extra auntie that dressed up too lol. I ended up wearing my wedding dress because I felt like a princess on my wedding day and I wanted to feel like that again. I’m pleased to report that it was a hit!

You can peep two new OOTDs coming soon, including me wearing my wedding attire one more time for the one time. But, now, let’s peep the festivities from girls afternoon out:

The princess party began with a riveting song by Anna, followed by an introduction from Elsa and Kristoff. Once the whole Frozen crew was on stage, they began to teach all of the kiddos games like the Freeze Dance. But, you had to “freeze” in a Frozen character pose. Sadly, Val was in a bit of a mood so she wasn’t really feeling the activities, but rallied hard when Kristen and I began participating too. I think she was just nervous to be in the presence of royalty!

After doing the Freeze Dance, Elsa performed “Let It Go” and she was SO good. Although let’s all agree that her wig is hit lol. Funnily enough, the actress who plays her actually works with my sister in the summertime. Go figure! When her big performance was over, the next game was dancing like your favorite Disney princess – IE, cleaning as Cinderella, swimming as Ariel… You get the point. The cast then wrapped things up and began walking the space to meet the kiddos, take pictures, and sign autographs.

When it was time for our turn with the character actors, Val did not want to speak to them or take pictures. However, she did have questions for them which Kristen and I asked for her and they all had great replies and encouraged Val to take a pic later if she wanted to. After our visit, I was SO proud of Val because after a few minutes she decided she would like a picture and she WERKED it! It took her a minute to get warmed up and that’s okay! I think I would be freaking out if I were her age and meeting my favorite Disney princesses too. ❤

Once the event was done, the kids all received a free half hour card to play the different arcade games. Val and I simply crushed in Mario Kart, Kristen dominated at Ring Toss, I was a beast at Ski Ball, and Raya was excellent support. The Frozen crew also came around to play games with the kids and Val loved watching Kristoff play the Test Your Strength game. She also learned that Elsa and Belle have a book club together when she wanted to know which other princesses she was friends with. So cute!

Everyone who attended the Princess Party was given the royal treatment and it was a delightful time. I love being able to do treat days with my best girls and I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for similar events in our neck of the woods!

Who is your favorite Disney character? What is your favorite Disney movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Slow Things Down At Akron’s Farm Table

Posted on October 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday was a hoot because Johnny and I went out to dinner with my boss, Karnchea, and his wife, Pam. Karnchea and I have been working virtually together since January and it was SO nice to be able to meet him in real life! In collaboration with our website, Nightlife 330, we were given the opportunity to meet up with the owners of Akron’s Farm Table, have a meal, and get the scoop on the brand new restaurant. It was such a delight to chat with John, Amber, and their sweet son, Tristan, about the ins and outs of Akron’s Farm Table. It’s an amazing concept run by amazing people! Take a look at some pics and read on for a lifewithlilred exclusive interview:

LR: You recently had your grand opening of Akron’s Farm Table and how do you think things are going so far?

John: Slow. We just aren’t getting the outreach right now. But, we offer a good place to come and have a cheap meal that’s all sourced locally. There’s not many places out there that you can get the same type of ingredients for the same price.

LR: What was your inspiration behind opening the restaurant?

Amber: We wanted to make good food accessible in downtown Akron to provide that feeling of security to everyone. We wanted to show people that this is where we get our food from and you can make the same things at home too.

John: Our customers aren’t just dollar bills to us. We want them to be able to come here and have an escape for as long as they need but have the comfort of feeling at home.

Amber: We want people to come and have a cup of coffee, to enjoy our handmade desserts. We want everyone to feel like they can hang out and have a good conversation because everyone has their own story just like we do.

LR: Wow, perfect segue! Tell me about your story.

Amber: John and I met through Plenty of Fish six years ago in November…

LR: Johnny and I met on Plenty of Facebook ba dum chhhh.

Amber: I picked him up from a three quarter house for sober living, John is a recovering addict. I took him home, we got married a year after we met. I picked him up and just never took him home! We want people to know that change is possible and it’s okay to slow things down to get back to your roots.

LR: Your roots are a common theme on your Facebook posts and your menu is filled with comfort classics. What do you both bring to the table for food prep?

Amber: When we started this big idea, John said “cook what you know” and that’s what I do. I cook most of lunch and dinner and John does most of breakfast. Our son, Tristan, is a huge help too!

LR: Are these dishes things that you grew up eating?

John: Definitely! These are recipes that we have known and loved for a long time.

LR: What is your favorite item on the menu?

John: The meatloaf.

Amber: The meatloaf, for sure. We had a lot of trial and error and found that making it in a bread pan made it too dry and grainy. I didn’t feel good standing behind it because I would never serve anything that I won’t eat myself. So we came up with individual patties, instead. We try to think outside of the box so our food is made fresh and not sitting in a warming tray all day.

LR: Where would you like to see Akron’s Farm Table one year from now?

Amber: Open.

John: I want to bring the people here. I would love to create a space for people to sell their fresh produce and come together. I hope in a year people will be here to have coffee and enjoy local produce without driving to the farms.

LR: What would you like to say to your future patrons?

Amber: Come here if you want to slow things down and get back to your roots. If you want to support a small business, we’re a small business and we would love to see you!

Akron’s Farm Table is bringing locally sourced goodness to downtown Akron and it is a joy to see. We loved our evening at this new spot and are sure that you will too. Support local and check it out!

What is your favorite local restaurant? How about your favorite local artist or musician? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

How To Boost Your Kids’ Confidence

Posted on September 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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During the pandemic years, it was tough for little ones to learn social skills without being around other children their age. As we’ve moved past the COVID times and into the open world again, some of our kiddos might be shy and need a little confidence when starting school or engaging with other kids. This article will share some advice on how to boost your kids’ confidence:

Enroll Them In A Literacy Program:

Literacy programs can help kids improve their written and verbal communication and engage with other kids around them. Foundations like Scottish Rite have speech-language and literacy programs in California. The foundation provides fully-funded courses to help children overcome speech or language obstacles and become confident individuals who enjoy engaging with written and spoken language.

Teach Them Responsibility:

Giving kids a taste of manageable independence can help them become more resilient and able to complete tasks independently. Teaching your kids how to look after a garden can teach them a lot about responsibility, patience, and allow them to see their work rewarded as plants grow and flourish. You could also give them a small item of responsibility if they are younger, like selecting an activity for the weekend.

Set An Example:

Your children learn from you and how you interact with the world around you. Try to set a good example by being positive and engaging with other parents in a group setting. Let them see you try something new and enjoy the experience. Help them to persevere by ensuring they see you follow a task through to the end. Your kids will learn from your example if they see you happy and confident.

Help Them Get Comfortable With Failure:

Studies show that up to a third of the population could be considered perfectionists. Perfectionists often find it hard to handle failure and tend to over prepare for events so they can constantly meet high standards. It’s important to get kids comfortable trying new things without fearing failure. This will teach them to be well-rounded adults who can adapt and thrive in new environments. They will also learn essential life skills like resilience and problem-solving.

Get Them Engaged In Learning:

Getting kids engaged in learning is fundamental to giving them confidence in school. Try Learn Bright’s hands-on learning programs to give them a taste of real-life experiments that they can engage with and complete in groups or independently. Getting kids involved in hands-on learning is a great way to appeal to visual learners and help boost their confidence in a school environment.

Encourage Team Work:

You can encourage kids to work better together in groups at home. You can do everyday things like letting them plan a meal with you or playing collaborative board games together. Help them build their confidence by encouraging them to work with you and the family to get things done. When they have play dates, you can also get the kids involved in a team activity or encourage them to join an after-school club to engage with children of a similar age.

Praise Perseverance Over Results:

Praise your child for persevering through a hard task, not just for the results they get. Teaching them to keep going even when things get tough is important to raise resilient children. Remember, top marks aren’t always the goal. If your child struggles in math, going up from a C to a C+ can be a significant achievement. If they aren’t into sports, getting them to join a soccer club is something to be celebrated.

There are many ways to engage children through learning or playing and, in doing so, raise them into confident and well-rounded adults.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Sep19

Sweet Surprises: Skeleton Champagne Flutes Edition

Posted on September 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! It is obviously no secret that Halloween is my happy time and Johnny and I maintain a spooky mindset all year round. Our Halloween decor is every day decor and we live for horror flicks and true crime documentaries. Spooky season soothes our souls and it’s so sweet when people reach out to us just to let us know which stores have the best Halloween decor out or which scary movie we have to watch. My dad, for example, is forever keeping me up to date on when our local discount store has a new shipment of spooky decorations out. What a guy! This past week, he surprised me with these darling skeleton champagne flutes and I adore them:

My dad purchased these flutes at Target and it gave me all the warm fuzzies because my mom told me that as soon as he saw them he said “Sarah would love these”. He was right on! They are just what I needed, in fact. I used to have wine glasses that were very similar from the Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, Johnny and I had to throw them out because they began leaking after a few months of use. I never forgot them because they were so cute and my new flutes are a perfect replacement.

Despite all of my parents’ children being thirty something, they firmly believe we are never too old for surprises. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have come over to their house to see new beauty goodies or Halloween decor for me after one of their trips to the store. It’s never anything expensive or extravagant and it never needs to be. Just knowing that they saw something that reminded them of me is more than enough. I cannot wait to break out my flutes for apple cider mimosas and toast to the bearers of this sweet surprise!

Cheers to Halloween, cheers to my parents, and cheers to all of you! Here’s to the best spooky season ever!

What is the last thing someone surprised you with? What is something that reminds your friends and family of you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

Steps Of Growth: Responsibility & Life’s Challenges

Posted on August 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Steps Of Growth: Responsibility & Life’s Challenges

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been confronted with the question: “How can we teach our lovely little ones about responsibility?” Now, raise your other hand if life’s unpredictable challenges make you feel like you’re herding cats. Yep, thought so. Both hands up in the air! Here’s a little secret: there’s no one-size-fits-all guide to this. But there are a few things that might help you teach your kiddos about responsibility and the art of embracing the challenges life sometimes throws at you:

Plant A Garden And Watch It Grow:

Gardening, apart from being therapeutic, can be an amazing teaching tool to allow your kids to understand that even the littlest flowers need love, care, and patience. Let your little one pick a plant or flower they’d like to grow. Let them water it, take care of it, and patiently watch it bloom. Through this, they learn that consistency, responsibility, and love can lead to beautiful results. And when pests come along or when the weather isn’t ideal, they will learn to understand that challenges are natural parts of life.

Add A Little Twist To Everyday Chores:

Ah, chores! The word itself probably makes your kids want to run for the hills. So how about creating a chore chart that’s actually fun? Add some glitter, stickers, and quirky tasks. Muddle the regular chores like tidying up toys or setting the table with something fun, like the floor is lava or last one to tidy up is a rotten egg. This way, while they’re diving into whimsical adventures, they’re also learning the art of daily responsibility.

Share Stories From Your Book Of Life:

We all love a little story. And children even more so – they adore stories, especially real ones that involve the people (or characters) they actually know. Share tales from your family’s past, about a time when you overcame challenges or how you learned from mistakes you once made. You might think these anecdotes are mundane, but for young ears, they’re exciting tales of adventure and learning.

Pass On A Job Of Personal Responsibility:

You might be tempted to protect your little ones from the big, vast world out there, but every once in a while, you need to trust them with just a smidge more responsibility. Maybe it’s letting them decide the menu for the family picnic, taking care of a new puppy companion, or even managing their pocket money without being told they’re wasting it on something they don’t need. These small steps of trust can work wonders in teaching them about the responsibilities of life. And don’t worry if they stumble a bit. Those mini missteps? They’re just stepping stones towards their remarkable journey of growth and understanding.

Lastly, remember to shower your kiddos with loads of love and encouragement even when it feels tough to do so because you’re frustrated by your circumstances. Let them know that every challenge they face is an opportunity to grow!

Featured Image By: Pexels

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