Tag Archives: fun

Jul12

Preparing Your Home For Guests

Posted on July 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Summer is the perfect time to welcome guests into your home. People are on vacation from school or work and there is nothing better than sharing in warm weather activities with close friends or family. While you don’t need to do a whole HGTV level overhaul of your house to prepare for guests, there are a few things that you can do to make them more comfortable:

Dietary Restrictions/Preferences:

Before your guests arrive, it is important to ask if they have any dietary needs to accommodate. Are they gluten free? Do they prefer tea or coffee in the morning? Not only does this show that you care but you can also stock your fridge ahead of time to skip a mad dash to the grocery store. Planning accordingly also means that you can plan meals ahead of time as well as find local restaurants that have options for dietary needs.

Prep The Guest Room:

Your guest room does not need to be set to the standards of a five star hotel but a little effort can go a long way. If you want to go all out, Pinterest has great suggestions for decorating a guest room. If not, that’s okay too! Extra blankets, towels, and toiletries will always be appreciated. How many times have you traveled to realize you forgot your toothbrush or shower gel?

Make Necessary Repairs:

Before you receive your guests, it is crucial to repair any home appliance that needs it. Extra people in your home means more dishes, laundry, and meal prep so it’s good to get these appliances checked out if they are not functioning as they should. The last thing you want is to be waiting around for a repair person all day while you could be having summer fun!

Have Activities In Mind:

Of course, all of your days with your guest don’t need to be jam packed. But, it will be fun to show them around the area especially if they have never been before. Local attractions, restaurants, and boutiques are all part of what makes your neck of the woods special so show it off! For chill days at home, a BBQ and backyard or indoor games work just as well.

Summertime is even better when it’s enjoyed with good company. Follow the tips above and I’m sure your guests will want to come by next summer too!

Jul12

Hibachi Japan Double Date

Posted on July 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, Johnny and I went on a double date to Hibachi Japan with my best friend Lea and her husband Brandon. We had the best time and the food was delicious!! I have not been to this restaurant in close to five years and out of the blue, I had a HUGE craving for it so I was really looking forward to this outing. 😀 Take a look:

Hibachi Japan is such a fun date night restaurant to go to because the chef expertly prepares your food right in front of you. The random bursts of fire, patrons at the table trying to catch pieces of shrimp, and exciting atmosphere all make for a perfect evening out. The restaurant window shades also added a touch of ambiance and made the fire seem even brighter! The chef prepared meals are also great because it includes two appetizers and dessert, which is an awesome value!

To start off our meal, we ordered drinks and Johnny and I both got the signature cocktail called Purple Rain. It is basically a Long Island Iced Tea with raspberry and it is delightful but strong – I couldn’t finish mine! Then, along came the appetizers which consisted of soup and salad. Unfortunately, the soup uses beef broth so I was given two salads and that was fine by me because the peanut salad dressing is to die for. I actually had three salads because Johnny barely ate his. 😀

After appetizers, our chef came to begin cooking our entrees. I got the tofu and veggies with rice and the rest of our table ordered rice with chicken, steak, or shrimp. The portions were huge, as you can see, and no one could finish their entire plate! I am usually not the biggest fan of tofu but it just hits different at Hibachi. It is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and I savored every bite.

In all honesty, we couldn’t have ate another bite but how can you say no to pineapple sorbet for dessert?! It was DIVINE. The bold pineapple flavor was complimented with the creamiest texture and I wish I could buy it by the gallon. It was also especially yummy with broken up pieces of fortune cookie on top.

Once we all officially couldn’t move, it was time to head home after a wonderful double date. A marvelous time was had by all and I will definitely not be waiting another five years to go back! 😀

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

Jul11

White Hot OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello and welcome to the final segment of my White Hot OOTD – the blooper reel! When Johnny takes my pictures, he snaps away to make sure I have lots of options to pick from. These photos range from the good, the bad, and the yikes but that’s okay because it’s all part of the photo shoot process. Any influencer will tell you so! Take a look at some of the yikes that definitely didn’t make the cut… Until now that is!

A brief pause when I felt a cobweb on me. Yuck!

A classic dismount shot:

Smelling fresh to death.

Party people say ayyyy. Party people say ohhhhh.

Almost took a tragic tumble when I lost my footing! 😮

Oh, hiiiiiiii!

Epic failure of a hair flip picture lol.

Wait for it….

Nailed it!

When I first started doing OOTD shoots, I would delete the bad pictures immediately and never gave it a second thought. Now, I do the polar opposite. Bad pictures teach us what not to do the next time around and, if nothing else, they provide me and Johnny with a good laugh. I hope this blooper reel does the same for you! 😀

Do you like getting your picture taken? What do you like to take pictures of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul8

Keeping Your Kids In Check This Summer

Posted on July 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Summer vacation is every parent’s dream and nightmare. On the one hand, you enjoy not needing to worry about school for a couple of months. You can have a bit of a lie in every morning and avoid the extra stress of getting everyone up and ready for the mad rush.

On the other hand, you’re faced with keeping your children occupied for multiple weeks in a row. It can start off pretty easy – and there are plenty of fun activities you can do with them, but it quickly gets very challenging. The biggest challenge is ensuring your kids stay well-behaved. When they get bored they can get a bit rowdy, which is exactly what you do not need when it’s very hot and sweaty outside.

Luckily, there is one very easy way to keep your kids in check during summer vacation: create a behavioral chart:

What is a behavioral chart?

Basically, it is a chart where you make a note of your child’s good or bad behavior. When they do something bad, you put a mark on the chart to show that. If they do something good – like help out around the house or mow the lawn, they get a positive mark instead.

It’s a very simple idea and you can make your own chart extremely quickly. Just create a table on your computer with your kids’ names on it. Then, head online and make stickers that correspond to good or bad behavior. This could be a smiley face sticker for good and a frown face for bad. Once everything is printed out and delivered, you’re ready to rock and roll.

How does this encourage well-behaved kids?

You might think that making a chart and tracking your kid’s behavior is a bit weird. However, the whole idea is that you make a game out of it. Think of it this way, you’re setting a challenge for your children that lasts the entire summer. They have to avoid getting bad behavior marks, aiming to get as many good marks as possible.

I know what you’re thinking; how do you make your kids care about this? Ah, well this is where the incentive comes in! Create a challenge that ends with a reward of sorts. It can be a toy, money, a trip to an adventure park – whatever you think your kids will enjoy the most. The challenge can be a target for your children to meet or avoid. By the end of summer, they should have as few bad marks on their chart as possible so set them a limit that they cannot go past. If they pass this limit, they fail the challenge and don’t get the prize. You could even add in a bonus prize for whoever has the most happy stickers on their chart.

Your children will be on their best behavior because they know they will be rewarded by the end of summer vacation. You can enjoy a more peaceful summer with kids that are very eager to help around the house and they can enjoy a nice prize at the end before going back to school. It’s a massive win-win!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jul7

Watercolor Painting Class

Posted on July 7, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday I took a really fun watercolor painting class at the Quirk Cultural Center with my mom and sister. The class was led by the wonderful Ana-Joel of Falcon Grove Studio and she taught us how to paint different herbs inspired by an English country garden. To begin, Ana showed us the different techniques to paint rosemary, sage, mint, and basil and then we got to create our own masterpieces:

My mom, sister, and I would definitely not fall under the category of artistically skilled and have never painted with watercolor before. However, we all jumped at the opportunity to take this class because it was local and seemed like something we could enjoy together. I am so glad that we did and left the class with work that we were proud of and an eagerness to take more classes with Ana again.

Ana is an amazing local artist who founded Falcon Grove Studio during the pandemic to help promote a feeling of safety and wellness at home through art. She is so gifted, kind, and genuine and we all felt lucky to have her as our teacher. Her words inspired each of the students in the class and I loved how she told us that art is special because it’s the way your own body moves to create something. As someone who isn’t good at art, it was so encouraging to hear that you are still making something meaningful.

As I said, I had never painted watercolor before and I had a blast. It was such a unique experience and I was blown away by this whole world that I knew existed but never tried for myself. Ana taught us how to mix colors and use the water to enhance our art and it was so cool to see colors transform from something as simple as adding a touch of yellow or red and a “juicy brush” loaded with water.

For my project, I chose to paint basil and sage and I couldn’t be more pleased with how they turned out. Are they museum level works of art? No way lol. BUT, I thought that it was a pretty damn good first try. Not only did I feel proud of what I painted but I also felt excited to try painting more and I think that definitely qualifies as a GREAT SUCCESS (Borat voice).

Ana offers a variety of different courses in person and online and I simply cannot wait to work with her again. I also have ideas swirling in my head for some commissioned pieces by her! Please check out her social media and Etsy page at the following and support this fabulous local artist:

Facebook: Falcon Grove Studio
Instagram: @falcongrovestudio
Etsy: Falcon Grove Studio

What is your favorite medium of art? Have you ever taken any art classes before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Super Fun Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Posted on July 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I have a little niece and nephew and my mom is always looking for fun activities for them. We are both huge fans of Pinterest and JANE truly outdid herself by making some colorful sidewalk chalk paint from this McCormick recipe. Like any kid, the littles love making masterpieces with chalk and the paint was just as fun for the adults as it was for them:

The recipe that my mom followed to make the chalk paint was a simple one that only required corn starch, water, and food dye. It also included the formulas to make all kinds of different colors from classic shades to neon hues. My niece, Valerie, requested the colors of the rainbow and my mom delivered, which made their driveway the most vibrant one in the neighborhood!

Sidewalk chalk paint is a unique spin on a tried and true favorite childhood activity. And, in my opinion, it’s even better because you don’t get that weird feeling from chalky hands – lol you guys know how I am about certain textures! This fun activity is sure to keep your kids entertained all summer long and I think that the adults will end up enjoying it just as much if not more. 😀

What was your favorite childhood activity? What do your kids like to do in the summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul2

Memphis Kiddie Park Day Trip

Posted on July 2, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I have been having so much summer fun last month and especially over this past weekend. My brother and his wife and son came to visit from Atlanta and we all had a blast hanging out. It was SO awesome for my niece and nephew to play together and they both solemnly announced that they would miss each other when it was time to go home. How sweet is that?!

Last Monday, we took the kiddos on a little day trip to Memphis Kiddie Park close to Cleveland and a delicious Mexican dinner afterwards. This was a very special outing, indeed, because my siblings and I used to go there all of the time when we were little. Whether we went with my parents or my grandma, it was always a huge treat to go to Kiddie Park and get ice cream after and I have so many fond memories of afternoons spent there.

When I was little, I remember thinking that Kiddie Park was a Cedar Point level amusement park. So, all of my siblings and I had a huge laugh when we saw through the eyes of an adult that it was the size of a large parking lot. It surely didn’t feel that way to my niece and nephew, though!

^^^ The white Love On A Hanger top is one of my faves!

When we got to Kiddie Park my nephew, Patrick, was ready to ride all of the rides. My niece, Valerie, on the other hand… Not so much. Lol, it definitely took her a minute to get warmed up and, surprisingly, the only thing she wanted to ride at first was the Little Dipper rollarcoaster with me. Of course, I obliged and it made me think of all of the times that I would ride it with my grandma and we would go on it again, and again, and again. ❤

Val’s reaction to the Little Dipper was either going to be really good or really bad because she had never been on something like that before. Even more surprisingly, she loved it and after a juice box and a pretzel she was good to go. I guess she was just hangry and it was, honestly, such a mood!

After Val rallied, her and Patrick rode so many rides together and it was SO. Freaking. Cute. They loved the boats, spinning turtles, airplanes, and mini cars and it warmed my heart to see them waving to all of us and having a ball. Naturally, neither of them wanted to go home afterwards and, despite having no more ride tickets left, they were asking for “just one more ride”. ❤

Something tells me that we will be taking Val to Kiddie Park again this summer and I’m sure we will go all together with Patrick next summer too. It was just as fun for the kids as it was for the adults and it was the best day!

Do you have something similar to Kiddie Park in your neck of the woods? What is one of your fondest childhood memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

I’m So Excited!!

Posted on June 30, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! As you all know, I have never been a fan of summertime and I still wouldn’t call myself that now despite appreciating it much more. It’s probably because the pandemic made having summer fun impossible these past two years. While it still is a concern in my area of Ohio, we are currently in the green and it makes me feel way more comfortable with doing all of the ACTIVITIES!

There is so much that I’m looking forward to this summer, including the following:

Concerts:

Pre-pandemic, Johnny and I were always at different venues for his former band to play and it was a blast. However, we have never been to a big concert together and that is about to change this summer. Johnny and I are in a HUGE Willie Nelson phase and will be seeing him play at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls this July.

We are also going to Riot Fest in Chicago this September to see My Chemical Romance’s reunion. I scored these tickets prior to COVID and it got rescheduled and I was so thankful to be able to transfer our tickets to this year’s show. The lineup is absolutely amazing and I cannot wait!!

Pool Days:

My apartment community has a wonderful outdoor swimming pool and I count down the days until it opens for summer every year. The pool features a deep area, a section for the kids with a waterfall, and a mini pool on an upper deck. Whether I am lounging in the water with a good book or enjoying the pool with my niece it is always nice to escape at our own personal oasis. I also love that I can now take a float with my new Taco Bell inner tube that my sister got me! 😀

Apartment Hang Outs:

Johnny and I still can’t get over our new digs in our bigger apartment and other than more space, the biggest upgrade is definitely a functional air conditioning unit and windows that open. Our last apartment would get unbearably hot in the summer and it was painful for us to be there let alone anyone else. This made it literally impossible to host friends and family and that always made me feel sad.

Now that we have somewhere that we can truly beat the heat in, we have guests over all of the time and that novelty will never wear off. We absolutely love having people over for dinner, game nights, and movies and it gives us something to look forward to almost every weekend. Our new apartment also features a lovely front patio that is so nice to sit on in the evening and have a chat!

Garden Veggies:

At the old apartment, my kitchen was a small galley one and it made cooking possible but unpleasant. The new place, however, has an open kitchen and it has turned cooking back into my favorite thing thanks to an abundance of counter space. Every summer, I look forward to my dad’s vegetable garden because there is nothing better than making a meal with fresh veggies. It just hits different and I am so ready to enjoy the harvest – both cooking and eating it! 😀

I am finally starting to understand why people like summertime and I guess it’s not so bad after all. Here’s to summer fun for everyone!

What are you looking forward to this summer? Are you going to any concerts? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun29

Summer Fun!

Posted on June 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After a long and dreary winter, it is so nice to finally be enjoying the sunny days of summer. I have certainly been making the most of it with lots of fun in the sun… And the sunburns to prove it. -_- Despite looking like a lobster, I am already fantasizing about more days spent by the pool at my apartment community with a good book!

This past weekend was one filled with ACTIVITIES and I think that I am still recovering from it:

This past Saturday, my sister and darling niece came over to go swimming and it was such a blast. To make it even better, Kristen surprised me with a Taco Bell inner tube that I am still freaking out over. Her and Valerie went to Five Below to stock up on pool toys and couldn’t not get me this TBell themed masterpiece. Val had so much fun hitching a ride on it with me and it will definitely be joining me every time I hit the pool!

My brother and his wife and son also came to visit from Georgia over the weekend and Johnny and I loved accompanying them to the park. We swung on the swings to our heart’s content and I have to laugh at Johnny’s outfit choice on such a hot day! He is nothing if not committed to our preferred OOTD choice of All Black Everything. 😀

I have never been a huge lover of summer and will forever be fall’s number one fan. However, I have a brand new appreciation for the season now that I can share in the joy with my niece. Trips to the pool, zoo, and park have never been more fun and will be even better once I remember to wear sunscreen smh!

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

Jun25

Date Day!

Posted on June 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! At least every other week, Johnny and I like to have a date day over the weekend before our regularly scheduled game nights. Whether it be going out to lunch or dinner, having a drink at our favorite bar, or shopping around at some of our go to game stores, it’s just nice to be out and about. This past weekend, we decided to go middle class fancy and hit up the Red Lobster before a rousing game of Legend Of Zelda Monopoly:

^^^ Lol, peep that Pablo Cruise shirt! 😀

Johnny and I have a very similar sense of humor and are constantly making each other laugh. When we first started dating, he told me a story about how he went to Red Lobster with a girlfriend and her dad and had a laugh attack about something that no one found funny. He was so tickled by the fake newspaper “The Daily Catch” that his fish and chips was wrapped in and he didn’t even receive a titter from anyone else. He got a huge belly laugh from me, though!

On Saturday, he must have been craving fish and chips something fierce and texted me when I was at my parents if I wanted to go to “The Lob” for lunch. I had no idea what he was talking about and thought it was a new restaurant that had opened so I said sure. When I was informed that it was Red Lobster, I couldn’t deny him his Daily Catch and he had also scoured the menu to make sure there was something that I could eat there as a vegetarian. Such an angel. ❤

We hit up The Lob and I was honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed the food. The cheddar biscuits were out of this world and my pasta dish was delicious with a lemon and garlic sauce. The drinks weren’t bad, either, and I got a Margarita while Johnny went for a Bahama Mama. Unfortunately, his fish and chips didn’t feature The Daily Catch which was the whole point of going but we still had a blast.

In my area of Ohio, the majority of restaurants are chain ones like Red Lobster, Applebees, and TGIFridays. Our date day was such a typical Midwest middle class fancy outing and like everything, we could find the humor in it. Will we be dining at Red Lobster all of the time? Probably not. Will I be excited every time Johnny suggests The Lob now? Absolutely! 😀

What is your favorite chain restaurant? What is a middle class fancy outing for you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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