Tag Archives: figure skater

Sep24

Lil Red Loves: Giving Back!

Posted on September 24, 2017 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! If you have been following lifewithlilred for a while or even are just friends with me on Facebook, you will know that there are two particular causes that are very close to my heart. One being animal rescue organizations and the other being the Special Olympics. Canine Lifeline, the rescue group that I volunteer for, and the Special Olympics are both organizations that I have worked with for about three years. Both causes are incredibly dear to me and I am here to talk about why. Let’s discuss:

Canine Lifeline:

I have had many a post on my blog about my precious rescue pups, Gem and Ollie, both of whom came from Canine Lifeline. This rescue group brings dogs up from rural, all kill shelters and tries to find them a new furever home in Ohio. Not only that, but they work hard to cover the medical expenses for the pups that are heartworm positive or who suffered in abusive conditions in their previous owner’s “care”.

My mom, sister, and I try to do everything within our time budget to help out with the needs of this amazing organization. Whether it be walking the dogs, bathing them, washing the blankets in their cages, or giving them some play time, we try to lend a helping hand as often as possible. We also have fun trying our luck at their raffle fundraisers where you can win amazing gift baskets! If it wasn’t for CLL, Gem and Ollie wouldn’t be here to be such a treasured part of our lives. With that in mind, the least we can do is try to give back!

^^^ Gem is in the first picture and Ollie is straight lounging in the second one. *Featuring Patrick Starfish*

Special Olympics:

This will be my third year of coaching Special Olympics figure skating and I am SO excited for practices to commence in October. I have been working with people who have special needs for roughly three years, as well, and I can’t imagine being in a better, more rewarding field. Compliments to about ten years of competitive figure skating, I have been able to use my somewhat forgotten skills to help my students grow as athletes and it brings me so much joy.

Coaching and motivating my athletes in whatever way that I can has led me to wonderful new friendships as well as a weekly workout – it’s really a win/win situation! I live for the practices, the actual Special Olympics games, and the celebration banquet when it is all over. Seeing my students enjoy themselves and succeed in an incredibly difficult sport is all the payoff that I need, and I plan on coaching every year until I physically can’t do it any more. Plus, Coach Sarah has an excellent ring to it!

^^^ Team picture!!! ❤

There is nothing better than volunteering your time, energy, and skills to an organization that is special to you. And, of course, monetary donations are also much appreciated, especially to both of my above causes, which are nonprofit.

And speaking of nonprofit organizations, if you are helping to plan a fundraising event for one of your causes, then the services at Eventbrite are a great place to start. Your raffle or dinner will be sure to be a hit with Eventbrite’s event planning, promotions, and social sharing tools to help your favorite cause reach new audiences and, of course, earn some money.

Lil Red Loves: Giving Back and I hope that this inspired you to help out with a cause that is meaningful to you! Which organization do you volunteer for? How do you give back? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Comal Habitat

Apr24

Monday Update: Take A Walk Edition

Posted on April 24, 2017 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a fantastic and relaxing weekend. So, technically, this Monday Update should be called Take A Walk/Run Edition (a rawk?) but Take A Walk sounds a bit more snazzy so we’ll just go with it. ANYWAYS, this past week, my mom decided that she would like to give walking at the nearby middle school track a go and asked if I would like to join her. Because I am a loving daughter and also because I’m trying to get my beach body in check I said, albeit a little grudgingly, “sure”. ALSO, the “comfort” few pounds gained when I was still with my ex-boyfriend are no joke so, I repeat, I really want to get my beach body in check.

So, my mom and I made our way to the track and because simply walking bores me, I thought that I would try to run as much as I could before taking a walking break. And LET ME TELL YOU, the ol’ smoker’s lungs were on FIRE. Despite this, I walked/ran (rawked) a mile and a quarter and felt pretty happy about it. Granted, it felt like pure and utter torture, but it was sort of fun? Can torture be fun? I guess the answer is YES.

My mom and I have gone to the track five times within the week during the evening and each time, I’ve been able to run a little bit longer than I was able to the last time. This is exciting to me. For those of you who don’t know, I was a competitive figure skater for a long time but gave it up when I was about sixteen (I’m 22 now). I miss doing things that involve athleticism (even though shopping is a sport, damnit), so it felt really good to be able to do something to get the blood pumping again and put my legs of steel to use.

Am I going to be the next Usain Bolt any time soon? Absolutely not. But I would be ecstatic if I could make it around the track once (which is a quarter mile) at a run without stopping to walk. It’s nice to have goals to accomplish even if they’re small and it’s also fun being able to be with my mom even if we’re just waving at each other from our different locations on the track.

I never thought that I’d say that I was actually looking forward to going for a rawk and getting sweaty, but I definitely find myself looking forward to it during the day. I even want to start hitting the ice again, although it would be just for fun. Being motivated in an athletic way for the first time in a long time feels good and I know my beach body goals will be achieved sooner or later. So here’s to bikini shopping not being a total pain this year!

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this song or video (I wish I did!!).

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Take A Walk Edition! How do you plan on achieving your perfect beach bod this year? Who else enjoys a good walk, run, or rawk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

Monday Update: Special Olympics Edition

Posted on February 8, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and happy Monday! This past week, my Special Olympic ice skaters competed in the winter games and it was totally awesome. The events took place on Wednesday and Thursday and they were single handedly some of the best days of my life. On Wednesday my sister, Kristen, joined me at the competition and the banquet that followed later in the evening. It was so nice to have her keeping me company and all of my skaters and their families just loved her! The days of the competitions were long but they were so worth it, so let’s discuss:

Wednesday’s competitions were the races for the speed skaters and then the figure skaters would compete in their skills and compulsorary events. On Thursday, the figure skaters would perform their music routines. Wednesday started out much too early for my liking because I had to get up, get ready, pick Kristen up, and then make the twenty minute drive to the rink so I could prepare my skaters for the events an hour or so beforehand. I felt like a zombie but god knows I looked fabulous! 😉

Once we arrived at the rink, my tiredness was a thing of the past because seeing all of the athletes and their families was so energizing! Everyone was so excited and I couldn’t wait to soak up all of the positivity and happiness that everyone was exuding. It was so much fun to make my rounds to all of the athletes upon our arrival and introduce my sister to all of my friends. I was so touched by the warm greetings I got from all of my skaters and their families. I think the athletes were more excited about Kristen being there than me though because they got a brand new person to show off to!

The events started promptly at ten with the speed skaters on the hockey rink and the figure skaters on the practice rink. I had athletes competing on both rinks so I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I had skaters to give pep talks to, athletes to cheer for, and competitors that I had to track down that were going to be competing next. I didn’t mind the fast pace though and thanks to my time management skills, I was able to watch almost all of the skaters that are in my group compete.

Saying that I was proud of all of the athletes was a severe understatement and before I knew it, the events were over for the day. After all of the events were complete, we made our way to the hockey rink for the award ceremony. It was so special to be able to watch the athletes and my students receiving their medals on the podium. I loved seeing the big smiles, surprised faces, and arms raised in victory of all of the competitors. One of my students, Rick, ran to his family after he received his medals and went in for a big hug from his aunt. During the hug he kept saying “I’m so happy, I’m so happy” and I started bawling my eyes out! I was so proud of everyone and being able to see them celebrate and know that they did a fantastic job was the cherry on top of a perfect morning.

After the award ceremony, Kristen and I stuck around for a little bit while everyone had lunch and then we rolled out. Kristen treated me to lunch and then we went back to her apartment to rest and watch Netflix until the banquet in the evening. The banquet for the Special Olympics winter games was held at the Clarion Hotel. There was going to be speeches, dinner, and some good old fashioned tom foolery.

Kristen and I got to the hotel around six and made it right in the nick of time because shortly after we got there it was time to eat. Dinner was served buffet style followed by a huge piece of chocolate cake. Once everyone finished eating, there was a bit of a lull so we could all chat and digest while the dance floor got cleared off. Before we knew it, the dance floor was cleared, a DJ was playing, and disco lights were flashing. That’s when the real fun began!

As soon as the music started playing, Kristen and I ran to the dance floor with our friends so we could get our groove on. We were all dancing and singing along to songs from Grease and the Top 40 hits. My sister and I had such a blast dancing the night away. We were on the dance floor for over an hour and by the time we left, everyone was still dancing and jumping around! Clearly, all of the athletes have far more energy than I! Take a look at some of my pictures from the banquet:

^^^ I love us!!!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million more times, I am so unbelievably proud of all of my students and the athletes who competed at the Special Olympics winter games. I’m so thankful for all of my new friends and I’m so happy that my sister got to share in the fun with us. It has been such a privilege to be able to coach such a talented group of athletes and I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had for anything! Coach Sarah loves you guys! ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Special Olympics Edition! The winter games were a great success and I’m so grateful that I could be a part of it. What is your favorite winter sport? What sports did you used to compete in or are competing in now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan29

I Still Get Jealous

Posted on January 29, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Heyy everyone and TGIF! Have any of you ever gone through your social media pages and have just felt insanely jealous of people? This happens to Lil Red on occasion and it really grinds my gears. It’s one of those things where you see everyone and their brother on your friends list being happier, better, prettier, etc than you and it can really get a gal down. So what brings on these feelings? What can you do to remedy them? Take a listen to an ironic choice in music and then let’s discuss:

^^^ I had to!

This past week I saw that a girl who I went to high school with was studying abroad in France and Italy and it made me SO insanely jealous. That’s one thing that I would love to do and that I have mentioned frequently on the ol’ blog and to basically anyone who will listen. A thing about me is that when I want things, I want them ASAP. So to see someone who is my age essentially living my dream kind of killed me. It can be hard to see people doing something that you want so desperately while you’re sitting in Akron, Ohio being miserable. -__-

As soon as I became green with envy over this, I began to evaluate my life and what I was doing wrong. I was turning the pages in my mind of everything that I could be doing and that just made me feel even worse. I then made a mental list of everything that I do and all of the responsibilities I have and it felt like a slap in the face. I was doing what felt like a lot but I still couldn’t have this one thing that I really want.

My mental list ended up looking something like this:

Attending school full time at Tri-C.
Coaching figure skating for the Special Olympics.
Transporting both of my siblings who can’t drive multiple times per week.
Working as a freelance writer for different companies, artists, and musicians.
Doing consultations for individuals who would like to start their own blog.
Working for two different media companies on my social media pages.
Working for the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities to make sure that everyone is receiving the best care possible.

With all of these things stacking up in my day, I barely have time to breathe but it still didn’t seem good enough. But then I started to think about how I work my ass off every day and am doing so much to improve the lives of others. I reminded myself that it will be my turn to travel soon enough and that it would be all the more sweeter when it finally does happen. Then the mental list began to shift and it looked more like this:

Mental list take two:

I work hard at school and have gotten all A’s since I began college last year.
I bring joy into the lives of my skaters and their families.
I help improve the quality of life for others.
I get both of my siblings to where they need to be when they need it.
My freelance work has been really taking off and I have the articles, followers, and media companies that I work through to prove it.

Yes, it does suck when you want something that you simply can’t have. It also sucks even more when you see someone with what you desire so much. However, all I can do is keep on going because I am making great strides on my own even if I don’t feel that way sometimes. It can be hard to remember that at times but when I do it definitely helps easy my jealousy!

In the words of Nick Jonas, “I Still Get Jealous”, but that won’t stop me from continuing to keep on trucking and working hard! What is something that makes you jealous? What do you do to help with those feelings? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan27

Sunshine Blog Award

Posted on January 27, 2016 by lifewithlilred

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Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! I hope all of you are having a fantastic day so far. Last week I was nominated for my first Sunshine Blog Award by the super sweet Valentina over at: valentinablingbling! Her blog is fabulous so make sure you check it out. I have so much fun whenever I get to make an award post and I’m so excited to answer all of the questions that Valentina has asked her nominees. Check out the rules to the Sunshine Blog Award and then let’s get to it!

The Rules:

You must thank the blogger who nominated you.
You must answer the questions asked by that blogger.
You must nominate another set of bloggers.
You must ask a few questions of your own to those bloggers.
You can’t nominate the blogger who nominated you!
Notify the bloggers you nominated about the nomination.

Q & A:

What is your favorite color?

Red (obviously) and black.

Does the color of your clothes reflect your mood for the day?

Right now I’m wearing black, grey, and burnt orange and it doesn’t really reflect my mood. I’m usually always pretty happy and to me these colors don’t exactly exude happiness. People probably think I’m super depressed because more often than not, I’m wearing all black!

What do you do when your mood is off the mark?

Take a bubble bath, eat comfort food, and binge watch shitty reality TV.

Why do you blog?

It’s fun! I love to write and have always been into journaling so lifewithlilred is essentially my online journal. I also like being able to communicate with all of my readers! Blogging is a great way to meet new people from all over the world and I love being able to say that I have friends in over one hundred and fifty countries!

What sort of blogs do you like to read?

Fashion, beauty, photography, and travel just to name a few.

How do you select the blogs that you follow?

Usually if you follow me, I’ll follow you back. But if that isn’t the case, I tend to follow the bloggers who I would like to interact with and are writing things of interest to me.

What does romance mean to you?

Enjoying the company of your significant other over things that aren’t necessarily “romantic”. On a post that will be coming up on my blog this week, I’ll be talking about when my boyfriend took me ice skating this past weekend. Kyle has never been ice skating before and I was a competitive figure skater for ten years. Needless to say, I was skating circles around him but just the fact that he put in the effort to take me and give it a try was super romantic to me!

Do you make New Year’s resolutions?

Nope! Never have, never will.

Do you enjoy changes in your life or do you shy away from them?

Yes and no. When things are going my way and life is good, I never want things to change. But when my life is super sucking, I say “bring it on” when it comes to switching things up. I tend to not mind changes as much when they’re minor but I do have a bit of a hard time with ginormous and unexpected changes.

Who and what would you take on a desert island with you?

A captain and a boat! 😉

Describe yourself in one word:

Red!!

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

What celebrity, dead or alive, would you pick to spend one day with?
What was the name of your childhood pet if you had one?
What was your favorite toy to play with when you were little?
What is your number one pet peeve?
What was the last TV show or movie that you watched?
Describe your personality in three words.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Would you rather wear the same outfit or not wear makeup for a month?
What qualities do you look for in a friend?
Describe your favorite article of clothing in your wardrobe.

Thank you so much to my friend Valentina at: valentinablingbling for my Sunshine Blog Award nomination! I had such a blast answering all of your questions! How would you answer some of the questions that I asked my nominees? What are some of your questions for me? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec31

One Lovely Blog Award

Posted on December 31, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Hey everyone and happy Thursday and the last day of 2015! My pal, Matthew, over at Ignite18 nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award so here’s to you, Matt! Thank you so much! There are some rules that come along with this award, so take a look and then check out some fun facts about yours truly!

About Me:

I’ve been a proud vegetarian for as long as I can remember.
I got my nickname “Lil Red” from one of my old coworkers at PacSun thanks to my bright red hair and lipstick. The name has stuck ever since.
I used to be a competitive figure skater and now I coach skating for the Special Olympics.
I desperately want to travel to Europe after I finish getting my Associate of Arts degree next fall.
I have a collection of over fifty pairs of shoes and I love them as if they were my children.
My blog, http://www.lifewithlilred.com, is read in over one hundred and fifty countries and I’m super thankful to all of my readers!
I live for Taco Bell and actually got it right before I started writing this.

My nominees:

My friend, Carlie, at Bombshell
One of my cherished readers at migueltio
The darling Luiza at Style on Board

Thank you again to Matthew for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award! It’s very much appreciated and I hope all of you learned a new Lil Red fun fact today! How is everyone celebrating New Year’s Eve tonight? Do you have any family traditions for ringing in a new year? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep16

Woman Crush Wednesday: Sasha Cohen Edition

Posted on September 16, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Woman Crush Wednesday: Sasha Cohen Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of Woman Crush Wednesday – Sasha Cohen style! For those of you who don’t know, I figure skated competitively for ten years and the lovely Miss Cohen was and still is one of my biggest inspirations. Check out this gorgeous routine that I picked solely because she’s wearing one of my all time favorite skating dresses and then let’s discuss my woman crush:

Dear Sasha Cohen,

Beautiful little Sasha, where do I even begin? I guess I have to ask if you remember me, for starters. We met when you came to visit at the Wooster skating rink. We took pictures together and you signed my skates, a hoodie from a previous competition, and my copy of Skating magazine with you on the cover. You were just as sweet as I hoped that you would be and you were even smaller than I thought! You have the most darling petite figure and it was pleasantly surprising for you to be the same height as me when you stood up to give me a hug. Meeting you was one of the highlights of my skating career/life in general and I’ll never forget it. Your exquisite grace and beauty on and off the rink is extraordinary. You skate with such genuine emotion and elegance and your talent is undeniable. I always wanted you to get the gold in the Olympic games…I daresay I wanted it for you just as much as you wanted it for yourself! Your career as a figure skater motivated me to push myself on and off the rink. You taught me the importance of hard work and dedication and for that I thank you so much. I can’t close this love letter without also mentioning how hard I laughed at your cameo in Blades Of Glory when you caught Chazz Michael Michaels jock strap…It was truly a moment for the ages. 😉 I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

^^^ She’s just divine. Lord have mercy on a gal!

So there you have it, this week’s Woman Crush Wednesday: Sasha Cohen Edition! Who is everyone’s #WCW this week? What was your favorite routine skated by my woman crush? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

Just So You Know

Posted on May 10, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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FYI! 🙂 Help me clear my closet PLEEEEASE!

lifewithlilred

Heyy everyone and happy Thursday! So I don’t know if you guys were aware, but I was a competitive figure skater for ten or so years when I was younger. I have a lot of competition dresses just hanging out in my closet doing nothing, so if you or someone you know is in need of some new skating gear, please send them my way! I couldn’t figure out how to open a WordPress shop, but my email is in my about me section on my blog and is also listed below, so if you reach out to me we can discuss prices and whatnot! All of the dresses are in excellent condition and if you would like I can email you more detailed pictures as well. Take a look:

Here are the sizes of each item:

Green dress #1: Petite
Green dress #2: Medium
Black dress: I could imagine…

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