Tag Archives: favorites

May31

Mini Mall Haul

Posted on May 31, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! After a very long tenure of working retail in the mall, I tend to avoid it like the plague now lol. I can probably count on ten fingers the amount of times I have been to the mall since being employed there and that is fine by me! You know your girl is a TJMaxx frequent flyer at heart. This past week, however, I crossed the threshold into Summit Mall because my brother had some birthday gift cards. I told myself that I wasn’t going to buy anything for myself, but that changed when I saw the most perfect T-shirt I have ever seen at Hot Topic. I also had a freebie coupon from Bath & Body Works to cash in! Check it out:

Bath & Body Works has recently switched up their freebie options and it has been most exciting! For the longest time, a free travel size product coupon left you limited to shower gel and lotion. Then, they upped their game to mini fragrance sprays, bar soap, and hand cream and they are all fair game for the free coupon. It is awesome and turns every time I get a B&BW coupon in the mail into an “I need to go there right now” event!

Johnny’s mom gifted me with some bar soap this past Easter and I forgot how much I enjoy a good ol’ bar of soap every now and again. With plenty of B&BW shower gel and lotion in my stockpile, I decided that trying out their bar soap for the first time would be the move. There wasn’t a huge selection of bar soap scents to pick from and I went with Coco Paradise to welcome summer with. Coco Paradise is a combo of coconut (obviously lol) and the softest hint of tropical flowers and it is lovely. It also is a shea butter based bar so I’m sure it will be ultra lush and hydrating. I can’t wait to try it out!

After browsing at other stores, my brother and I ended our rounds at Hot Topic. As a reminder, I truly had no intention of buying a single thing… Until I saw the AFI T-shirt that I just had to have. AFI’s album, Sing The Sorrow, was the first album I ever bought with my own money. It was and will always be in my top three favorite albums and seeing them live was one of the best moments of my life. I was so lucky because they only had one size small in this shirt among a sea of XLs and believe me when I say, I literally snatched it from the shelf!

The last T-shirt I bought from Hot Topic was from a few years ago and now I understand why almost all of Johnny’s T’s come from there. When I sported my AFI T the following day, I was blown away by how soft it was! It felt like a hug when I was wearing it and I honestly regretted not buying a few more! The fit was also perfect – not too loose and not too tight but just right. I am freaking obsessed with my new favorite T featuring my forever favorite band. 😀

After this trip to the mall, I don’t think I will go again for another handful of years lol. But, I was able to treat myself with an awesome pick me up purchase and for that I am grateful!

What was the first album that you ever bought? What is your favorite band? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan13

What Have We Been Watching?

Posted on January 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I think it’s safe to say that if you experience cold weather in your neck of the woods during the wintertime, that you probably have been watching a bit more TV than usual. This is definitely the case for me and Johnny, anyways – especially because by the time I usually get home from work it is already dark out. It’s the worst! Until the sun sets later in the day, however, this is completely fine for us and we have been enjoying all of the following this winter:

Sometimes When We Touch:

Johnny and I just watched the most fabulous documentary on Paramount+ about the rise, ruin, and resurrection of soft rock called Sometimes When We Touch. This was a three part series and each episode was barely an hour long and our only regret was that there wasn’t more! It was SO good and if you love the yacht rock of the 1970s and early 80s, then I seriously can’t recommend it enough. The bangers from Pablo Cruise, The Captain And Tennille, Ambrosia, Air Supply, The Carpenters and so much more were nonstop. The documentary also featured a fascinating segment on the punk scene as soft rock decreased in popularity.

Regardless of if you are a soft rock fan or not, this is a documentary that is worth the watch. Johnny and I learned so much and we also found new artists to check out as the revival of soft rock was discussed. We can’t wait to give them a listen and have already made plans to watch it again. If you love the music as much as Johnny and I do, warm fuzzies after watching it are a Lil Red Guarantee.

Top Shot:

Johnny and his dad used to watch History Channel’s competitive shooting show, Top Shot, together and introduced me to it this past Thanksgiving. To literally everyone’s surprise, I was hooked within minutes! Lol, I just love a competition show and I don’t care what it is because the set up is always the same. Since beginning the Top Shot journey, Johnny and I have watched every season twice already! We are obsessed with the insane challenges like trick shots, shooting upside down, and firing cannons. Most importantly, we freaking LOVE the host, Colby Donaldson, he is a hoot. 😀

If you’re looking for a competition show based on athletics with all of the pageantry of America’s Next Top Model, look no further than Top Shot. And, be sure to get at me after you watch season three and witness the utter meltdown of Jake because it was nuts!

Superstore:

When Netflix took The Office and Parks & Rec off of their lineup, Superstore became mine and Johnny’s go to show. It has been so for the past forever and I highly doubt that it will change any time soon! It is our bedtime show, our whenever show, and our we just feel like laughing show. Set in a Walmart style store, Superstore on Hulu offers every character that you might expect to be employed there: A dopey manager, a manager who takes herself way too seriously, the “cool” guy, and a teen mom to name just a few. For anyone who has ever worked retail, I am sure that you will find a character on the show that reminds you of one of your coworkers – I know I did!

Every single character on Superstore is hilarious and lovable in their own way and it still bums me out that the show is officially over. If you are in the mood for something light, funny, and strangely heartwarming, then I think that you will love it. My favorite characters are Dina, Cody, and Marcus. 😀

Lego Masters:

Johnny and I finally finished season three of Lego Masters and couldn’t believe our good fortune that there were additional episodes called the Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular. During the Bricktacular, four former contestants were paired with a celebrity partner to compete in challenges and win money for charity. Cheryl Hiness, Robin Thicke, Leslie Jordan, and Finesse Mitchell were the celebrity partners and our hands down favorite was Leslie Jordan. He was SO funny and cute and we were saddened to learn of his death last year. If you are still feeling the holiday spirit, this three part competition will be just right for you. 🙂

Hibernating with Johnny all winter with our favorite shows and bunnies definitely makes the cold more tolerable since we’re barely experiencing it lol. I hope you enjoy all of these recommendations as much as we did!

What are you currently bingewatching? What shows do you recommend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec8

It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD Bonus Pics

Posted on December 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD! There were so many pictures I liked from this shoot because I loved the outfit that I created. It is for sure one that I can picture myself wearing again or with variations and it might just be one of my favorite looks from this past year of OOTDs. I think I achieved my goal of creating an elder emo look that the young bloods can look up to lol! What do you guys think?

I don’t know about all of you but my fashion sucked ASS in high school lol. It was basically as bad on the outside as I felt on the inside. However, that’s one of the cool things about growing up. You get to develop your own style and learn what works the best for you. This was a process of trial and error and how my style evolved from yikes to something I’m proud of stems from countless shopping trips to TJMaxx with my mom. Trying on fitting rooms full of clothes in every shape, style, and color really helped get me in tune with my body type and what compliments it. This also gave me the freedom to make fashion mistakes without showing it to the entire high school.

Shows like Euphoria had all of the high school aged characters serving LOOKS and that truly is not the case for lots of people, myself included. If you’re one of my younger readers and have similar sentiments to my days of yore, I promise that it will get better. It just takes a bit of time, reflection, and an adventurous spirit when you’re out shopping. This outfit was inspired by what I wish that I wore in high school and I think my younger self would have flipped her shit if she saw these pictures of grown up me.

“It’s just a phase” is something that young people hear a lot and it is such a massive eye roll. There are some things you will never outgrow and that is okay! Once an emo kid, always an emo kid and all you have to do is look at thirty-three year old Johnny and twenty-eight year old me to know that it was most certainly not just a phase. This look was all about tossing that phrase in the garbage and being proud of who you are and how you feel. All of it makes you you and I like you just the way you are! ❤

What was a phase that you never outgrew? How has your personal style developed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul25

TJMaxx Haul: Skin Care Edition

Posted on July 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the last of my TJMaxx Haul! Today, we are going to be discussing some brand new skin care and then it’s onto bigger and better things. Keep it posted for a new OOTD and a few watercolor paintings by yours truly. They aren’t museum worthy but I’m pretty proud of them! Now, let’s get to it:

The main reason for this haul in the first place was to get some skin care with my birthday gift card from my sister. Cut to two hours later and I had a cart full of goodies! As the old saying goes, you don’t go to TJMaxx for what you need… It tells you what you need lol at least that’s what I say, anyways. 😀

Although I was looking for some eye cream and cleansers, I was happy to walk away with a new serum (which I can always use) and two micellar waters by Evoluderm. I have been obsessed with this product since I tried it out over three years ago and just have to grab a bottle or two whenever its available at TJs. It is, hands down, the best micellar water I have ever used and makes everything else pale in comparison.

I am a faithful user of micellar water both morning and night and love the way the Evoluderm makes my skin feel. While the Garnier micellar water is great at removing makeup, it never made my skin feel nourished. The Evoluderm is the polar opposite and not only leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean but hydrated and well protected. I can’t recommend it enough if you are on the hunt for a micellar water or if the Garnier brand just isn’t cutting it anymore!

There you have it, a fabulous haul for the ages at TJMaxx in its completion. Is it bad that I’m already daydreaming about a fall haul?!

What is your favorite skin care brand? Where do you like to shop skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun7

What To Watch When You’re Bored Of Netflix

Posted on June 7, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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What To Watch When You’re Bored Of Netflix

Finding it tough to find something to watch these days? We’ve all been there. You’ve binged your favorites in two days, and now you’ve got the big black hole of Netflix where you’ve either seen everything or nothing appeals. You can waste a lot of time flicking between menus and never really watching anything!

So what can you do instead? The good news is that there’s a whole wide world out there of film and TV to watch. Who knows, you might even discover some hidden gems! Ready to dive in? It’s time to step away from Netflix and try the following:

Go to the movies:

While not particularly innovative, going to the movies can feel like a rare treat in the post-pandemic world. With most new movies making their way on-demand either instantly or in a matter of weeks, a lot of people take to watching them at home. But while watching movies at home is convenient, there’s still something magical about watching them on the big screen.

Take a look at the most anticipated movies of 2022 and book your tickets to see something at the theater. Dinner and a show, anyone?

Discover TV and movies from overseas:

What’s great about platforms like Netflix is that they help you discover shows you never heard of before. Great TV shows and movies are produced all over the world, and there are a lot of platforms where you can find some incredible new content. If you’re into anime, you can get access to a range of content at https://clearvpn.com/blog/entertainment/best-anime-torrent-sites/, and perhaps fall in love with a whole new genre. Or if you prefer reality shows, you can find the new series of Biggest Liar in Ghana to get your fix. It’s fun to check out what’s popular across different countries and find some new shows that appeal to you.

Rewatch childhood favorites:

If you can’t find something new to watch, then why not discover some old favorites instead? Revisiting some of your top shows and movies from when you were a kid is a great way to reminiscence and even share your nostalgia with others. From classic Disney to the shows you watched on Nickelodeon, it’s time to go back in time and give your old faves another watch.

Explore other on-demand platforms:

There’s a lot more to on-demand than simply watching Netflix. There are a lot of streaming services out there to choose from, including Amazon, Disney, and HBO – all with a lot of content to help you make some new discoveries. Most on-demand services come with free trials, giving you the perfect excuse to try something new!

While Netflix is home to some incredible shows and movies, it’s nice to branch out once in a while to keep your viewing fresh. When it is time to return to Netflix, there are some fantastic hacks to upgrade your evenings that will help you get the most from your chill time. Happy watching!

Featured Image By: Unsplash under Creative Commons

Apr26

April Snow Still Brings Flowers!

Posted on April 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! In good ol’ Akron, Ohio, it has been a wild mash up of seasons this April. We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers” and, thankfully, so does April snow, freezing rain, chilly fall like days, and summer level hot. Like I said, Mother Nature has been having some massive mood swings! The best of spring is blooming, though, so all is right with the world:

Every year, my dad’s yard hosts the most wonderful flowers and veggies and every year seems more spectacular than the last. I love seeing my favorites of daffodils, hyacinths, and crocuses popping out come spring time and it never fails to make me smile. The piece de resistance, though, is the massive cherry blossom tree in the front yard. Watching it bloom and seeing the petals fall like snow is, honestly, nothing short of magical.

With the wonky weather, I feared the worst for the spring flowers and the fact that they’re all still going strong makes me appreciate them even more. Flowers are Mother Nature’s pop of color and they are also her favorite perfume too. Walking through my parent’s neighborhood last week, I saw bright bursts of yellow, purple, pink, and white and I could smell sweet blooms with every step. There is nothing better than a stroll on a day that actually feels like spring!

When the weather allows, take some time to take a walk and smell the roses (Or whatever flower is blooming!). It sounds cheesy but it will certainly put a spring in your step! ❤

What is spring time like where you live? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr5

New Tattoos!

Posted on April 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone! As promised, today we’re going to peep a couple of the new tattoos I got during my last tap out session with my amazing tattoo artist and friend, Emily. Tap out sessions are eight hours straight of getting tattooed and I can’t wait to go back in mid April to get the rest of the things that we didn’t have time for done. 😀

It has been a fat minute since my last tap out because of COVID and also just winter in general. It’s not like anyone was going to see my new work so I held off. However, after Johnny got one of his hands tattooed and a couple of his fingers, I had to follow suit because I was so jealous lol. During my session I got my palms touched up as well as tattoos on my hands and fingers and I am loving it! Check it out:

I have wanted to get my hands and fingers tattooed for so long but always held off because I had so many other pieces to complete. After getting them done, I don’t know what I was waiting for because I am obsessed! They are so cute and really tie together my almost covered arms and shoulders. I also never say no to a touch up for my palms because they always need it – even if it is a bit unpleasant.

For my fingers, I have had “princess” in mind for forever because that’s what my name means in Hebrew. It took me a little longer to decide on what I wanted on my hands but I have always liked gemstone tattoos so decided to go from there. I went with an adorable heart surrounded by pearls on one and a diamond on the other. I am very partial to the pearl border and actually have that on two tattoos on my thighs.

As far as the pain level goes for these new tattoos, I am the wrong person to ask. I have an incredibly high pain tolerance so tattoos have never hurt me to get done. I will say, however, that the diamond was the most annoying of all of them. There was so much detail and by the time Emily was almost done my hand was SO swollen. It looked like a million bee stings!

While my hand tattoos are not complete yet because Emily needs to go in with more white once they are healed, it is an amazing start. I couldn’t ask for anything better!

Do you have any tattoos? Which one is your favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar11

Dinner Time!

Posted on March 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Ever since discovering the joys of Pinterest super late in the game, I have spent many an enjoyable evening cooking up new recipes for myself and Johnny. It has been great fun because I love to cook and I was so bored with all of the dinners that I have been making time and time again. This past Friday, I cooked a feast for dinner and while it was a lot of food, it also meant leftovers for days and that’s always good! Check it out:

The Menu:

Mac n’ cheese: You can see the recipe on this previous post of mine!
Jalapeño popper rolls: Berly’s Kitchen on Pinterest
Perogies with sauteed onions and garlic and honey mustard
Rosemary and butter carrots

My sweet Johnny spent most of the week being bummed out that he had to go to work on Saturday. I planned on cooking a big dinner on Friday anyways but when I got a surprise day off, I decided to go even bigger to help cheer him up. Johnny’s love language is definitely sharing his favorite music for me and since I have not one ounce of musical talent, cooking our favorite meals is my love language for him.

I started with homemade mac n’ cheese with the tried and true recipe that my mom has been making since I was little. It was and is still one of my favorite dishes and my niece is especially partial to it too. However, I still think it turns out better when my mom makes it! Although it’s not quite up to JANE level standards when I make it, it is still really yummy and I like to make mac n’ cheese grilled cheeses with the leftovers.

Then, it was on to the jalapeño popper rolls, which were delicious! This recipe was another one that required pizza dough to make but I figured Pillsbury croissants would work too. At least, I hoped so because the last time I substituted croissants for pizza dough for a recipe, it didn’t turn out the best. This time around, Pillsbury did me right and the rolls were a highlight of the meal and something I would happily make again.

I didn’t have pickled jalapenos as the recipe called for so I cut mine up and broiled them in the oven for about five minutes. The end result tasted exactly like the jalapeño popper quesadillas that are mine and Johnny’s favorite. In fact, it was almost an identical recipe minus the crushed up tortilla chips to give the quesadillas some extra crunch.

Originally, I just planned on cooking the mac n’ cheese and the rolls but I figured I might as well try and clear some food from my pantry, fridge, and freezer since I had extra time on my hands. For example, I love the idea of baby carrots. However, whenever I buy a bag, they always just end up sitting in my crisper drawer.

I figured it was now or never to use the carrots so I just threw them in a pot of water and cooked them up. It took about thirty minutes for the baby carrots to be completely tender. Then, I drained the water and put them back in the pot with butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper and let that simmer for five minutes. This is something that I made when I first moved into my apartment and it was just as tasty as I remembered it being. They are also still really good leftover!

Similarly to baby carrots, I always find myself buying onions and garlic during grocery shopping even though I rarely use them! I guess it’s just a habit because those were ingredients that were never not available at my parent’s home. I had a box of perogies that have been sitting in my freezer for a while so I knew just what to do: Saute the veggies and the perogies along with honey mustard. 😀

This was not a complex meal to make at all and, even though I might have went a bit overboard, we ate like royalty on Friday night… and also every night that we had the leftovers lol! I enjoyed my cooking session so much and it was the best to see how surprised Johnny was when he got home from work. ❤

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

Mar8

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on March 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During my first in store shopping trip to Bath & Body Works in forever, I got an amazing deal on the foaming hand soaps that Johnny and I love so very much. They were $3.50 each AND I got twenty-five percent off of my purchase to thanks to my coupon. It doesn’t get much better than that and now I am well stocked for months to come in the hand soap department of my stock pile. Check it out:

Would I Buy Again?

Pink Pineapple Sunrise: YES
Cozy Vanilla Almond: YES
Turquoise Waters: MAYBE
Mango Papaya Paradise: YES
Blueberry Bellini: MAYBE
Peach Bellini: YES!! (My favorite!)

Shopping in store at Bath & Body Works was such a treat because it had been so long since I could actually smell the products that I was going to buy as opposed to just crossing my fingers with online orders. However, after a while of smelling literally everything the store has to offer, everything starts to smell the same! Most of these soaps were ones that I took a whiff of before adding them to my basket but some of their names sounded good enough that I didn’t bother.

Johnny is very partial to tropical scents, which B&BW had a lot of in their new spring line. The Pink Pineapple Sunrise and Mango Papaya Paradise are both delightful and definite safe bets if you are ordering online. The Turquoise Waters was just okay, though, and I wish I would have went with another fruity soap rather than beachy. If you are a fan of the sandy beach scents, you will love it!

The Cozy Vanilla Almond was also a really nice one that I picked out more for me because I love anything vanilla. It has a light scent but still smells so lush and, dare I say, COZY. This one and the Peach Bellini would make great gifts because it’s hard to picture someone not liking it. The Peach Bellini is my all time favorite scent so maybe I’m a little biased but I always have to purchase one during my soap shopping. 😀

The Blueberry Bellini soap was one that I didn’t test out in store because it had the word Bellini in it lol so I figured how bad could it be. It didn’t blow me away but I also didn’t hate it. It just smelled blue if that makes any sense! This is one that I probably wouldn’t buy again but am fine with using it or being gifted with it.

Overall, I am really pleased with my haul because I consider it a GREAT SUCCESS when all of the soap scents are tolerable. The awesome deal for them also made this purchase even better!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? What kind of scents do you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

Having A Laugh

Posted on March 4, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! When it comes to mine and Johnny’s usual entertainment after the work day, we tend to enjoy more dramatic shows like Criminal Minds, Wentworth, and all of the true crime. Then, before bed we will turn on something funny. However, recently, all we have wanted to do was laugh and have been in hysterics over the following:

Step Brothers:

Step Brothers is my favorite comedy movie in the whole world and Johnny and I quote it daily. No matter how many times we watch it, we still laugh like it’s the first time we ever saw it. We have seriously watched it three times in the past month because it is such a comfort film and we never feel like scrolling through all of the movie options on our streaming services. Why Step Brothers didn’t win an Oscar for Best Movie Ever is beyond me!

UHF:

Johnny and I are huge “Weird Al” fans and, shockingly, I have never seen UHF until this past Sunday and it was SO. Funny. Taking a peek into Weird Al’s brain while watching this flick was nothing short of a delight and we have every intention of watching it again really soon. There were so many “wtf” moments in UHF and I truly couldn’t even lol. It has already become a much loved film to quote in our wide arsenal of movie quotes after just one watch.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022):

My husband and I both have a special spot in our hearts for all things horror and, despite the lackluster reviews of the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I really wanted to watch it. I am so glad that we did because we actually both ended up really enjoying ourselves regardless of the naysayers. Is it a traditionally funny film? Absolutely not. But like all classic slasher flicks, it was just so goofy and there were parts where we were in stitches.

If you are expecting the masterpiece that is the original TCM (My all time favorite horror movie), then don’t bother with the new one. However, if you are looking for a way to kill an hour and a half and you’re a slasher fan, then I say: Go for it!

Superbad:

Superbad is another movie that Johnny and I will put on when we can’t think of anything else to watch and it never disappoints. We’ve probably watched it over fifteen times in the two and a half years that we’ve been together! Superbad is yet another movie that works its way into our daily vernacular and it is much beloved by us and literally every single person in our friend group.

Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie:

Johnny and I love us some Tim & Eric and had a viewing of their Billion Dollar Movie after watching UHF on Sunday. They are straight up ridiculous and come up with some of the weirdest shit that I have ever seen and that is why we love them! Tim & Eric formed DOBIS (Doing Business) to earn the money back from a billion dollar movie they made that flopped and work to renovate an old mall. It is just as crazy weird as everything they always do and I would never expect anything less.

Maybe it’s the crappy weather Ohio has been having lately or the good old fashioned seasonal depression that have put Johnny and I in a comedy mood and I am so not mad about it. Everything seems a little better after a laughing sesh with all of our favorite funny movies!

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

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