Tag Archives: fun

Sep3

LEGO Seinfeld Set

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LEGO Seinfeld Set

Hello! Johnny and I recently had a huge LEGO Haul that included some new Harry Potter sets and, most importantly, a set of Jerry’s apartment from Seinfeld. We are both huge fans of the show and we just had to buy it as a crowning jewel of our apartment!

When I returned home from work and an outing last week, I was so surprised to see that Johnny had completed the set while I was away as a surprise. Why didn’t we build it together, you might ask? Check out these pics and allow me to explain:

For my birthday last year, Johnny gifted me with the Clock Tower Harry Potter LEGO set. This was my first experience of building with LEGO in my entire life and, let’s just say it didn’t go very well at first. The entire beginning of this set involved incredibly small bricks and I just couldn’t put two and two together with my acrylics. I got so frustrated because I assumed that this was all LEGO was and what was the fun in that if I couldn’t do it?

I left Johnny to complete all of the small accessories and when bigger bricks finally came into play, I was elated to find that I could build with them with no problem. Now, whenever Johnny and I build with LEGO, I take care of all of the big parts of the build and he handles all of the small bricks and details. Our system works beautifully and it makes what was originally impossible for me to do a hobby that I can’t get enough of.

As you can see from the Seinfeld set, it is basically all small bricks and Johnny and I knew that it would be one that he would have to build on his own. Once I returned home from my day to see it in all of its glory on the coffee table, I was blown away because the set it absolutely perfect.

One of the things that Johnny and I love the most when it comes to LEGO are the small surprises that are included in each set. We were in hysterics over the LEGO pictures of The Kramer portrait and George’s boudoir shot and can’t get over the fact that Kramer has his own “Coffee Table Book”. The Festivus Pole in the left corner is also a nice touch and there is even a picture of a LEGO Larry David on the fridge! 😀

While there is nothing better than building a LEGO set with Johnny, I so appreciate that he spared me the frustration of attempting to help with the Seinfeld set, lol. Unfortunately, we have had no such luck in finding a house to rent. But, when we eventually do, we can’t wait to have more room to display our completed sets and, of course, build more! ❤

What is your favorite thing that you have built with LEGO? Does anyone watch LEGO Masters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug28

My Favorite Summer 2021 Memories

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My Favorite Summer 2021 Memories

Hi! Summer is quickly drawing to a close and that is fine by Lil Red because I live for fall weather, fashion, and holidays. Both Johnny and I are eager to step out in our favorite jackets, sweaters, and long sleeve shirts for hikes, bonfires, and corn mazes in cool temperatures that don’t physically pain us lol.

Although the fall will forever be my preferred time of the year, I have to say that this summer was a great success – especially in comparison to last year. Let’s discuss some of my fave memories from these past few months:

Getting Married:

The best memory of all from this summer is Johnny and I getting married in June, of course! Our wedding day was a beautiful, albeit very hot one, so obviously it was the perfect time for us to tie the knot wearing all black haha! It was so special for us to have a small, intimate wedding in one of our best friend’s back yards surrounded by our immediate family and closest friends. It was one of the best days of my life and I just love being married! ❤

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Conneaut, Ohio Road Trip:

This month, Johnny and I made an hour and a half drive to Conneaut, Ohio for a D-Day reenactment and it was awesome! My husband, the history buff, has never been to a war reenactment before and has always wanted to so when I found out about the event, I surprised him with tickets. The reenactments, demonstrations, and fair food were all great. The best part, however, was seeing a big smile on Johnny’s face all day. Something tells me that this is not the last reenactment that we’ll be attending together and I can’t wait! 🙂

Birthday Celebrations:

Me, Johnny, and my two besties all have summertime birthdays and I love being able to celebrate with them every year. I consider myself to be an excellent gift giver so birthdays and holidays are my favorite. Picking out the perfect presents for my loved ones is so much fun to me and it’s even better to see their reactions once they have opened their gifts. In true Lil Red fashion, I have already began my Christmas shopping planning – I just can’t help myself. 😀

Swimming:

Last year, the pool at my apartment community was closed for obvious reasons. This summer, however, it is open for business and I have been making the most of it. I have spent many an evening lounging in the pool with my bestie or with my sister and niece and it has been so nice. While I can’t wait for cooler weather, I will definitely miss the option to go swimming once my day at work is over. An evening at the pool and then dinner with my BFF or sister and niece is the best thing to look forward to after a work day!

Date Day:

The best date day that Johnny and I had this summer was, easily, our time spent in downtown Cuyahoga Falls a few Saturdays ago. We had an amazing time browsing through the ultra cool Jenks Building while listening to our ultra cool friends play in the Buffalo Ryders. After their set, our band boyz joined Johnny and I for a cocktail hour at our favorite local bar, The Cashmere Cricket. Saturday is the best day to go because the Cricket makes all of their cocktails with dry ice, which makes your drinks bubble and smoke like a potion.

Once our outing was done, Johnny and I went back to our apartment for our usual weekend festivities of playing video games, dancing, and listening to music. It was a perfect day and one of my favorite summer memories.

So there you have it, my favorite summer memories! Summer is my least favorite season by far but, after these past few months, I definitely think I like it a little bit more! ❤

What are your favorite memories of this summer? What are you looking forward to in the fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug27

Surprise LEGO Set!

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Surprise LEGO Set!

Hi! Johnny and I will be celebrating our two year anniversary of being in a “Facebook official” relationship on September first, which is super exciting! When it comes to buying presents for any occasion, I am notorious for purchasing way in advance and constantly asking if I can give the gifts early. I just can’t help myself!

For mine and Johnny’s two year, I came to terms with waiting until the day of so you could imagine my surprise when he wanted to do presents early. Take a look at what Johnny got for me:

As you all know from yesterday’s post, Johnny and I had a huge LEGO haul with a Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set, a Seinfeld set, and a little boat set too. Once I returned home with all of the LEGO in tow, Johnny decided to gift me with one more so I guess the two year anniversary is the LEGO anniversary! 😀

For our two year, Johnny got me the Harry Potter Attack on the Burrow set, which I have wanted since it was released about a year ago. We are constantly talking about expanding our Hogwarts castle and grounds and while the Weasley house technically doesn’t belong on the Hogwarts grounds, it is still a welcome addition.

Our two year anniversary definitely qualifies under the “fun and games” category as I gifted him with a Legend of Zelda Monopoly and more Link Amiibos to add to his collection. We are so excited to play a rousing game of Monopoly together and build our four different LEGO sets. I think our LEGO additions will keep us occupied for about a week because once we start building we just can’t stop! ❤

What is your favorite board game? Have you gotten any new LEGO sets recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug26

How To Support Musical Children

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How To Support Musical Children

Music can be beneficial to children in many different ways. Playing or listening to music can be an enjoyable thing to do together, a way for children to learn new skills, develop their creativity, and explore their emotions. If your child has shown an interest in becoming a musician, how can you best support them?

Encourage Listening Skills:

Getting children to begin to enjoy exploring music can be a fun thing for the two of you to do together. As you listen to music, ask your child to describe to you what they can hear so they can start to work on their listening skills. Choose a piece of music you think they will like and ask them questions as you listen. Ask them questions like:

  • What sounds can you hear?
  • How would you describe this piece of music?
  • How does this piece of music make you feel?

Having these conversations can also help your child to begin to build their communication skills as they find the right words to describe things to you.

Play Along To Music:

Children love making noise, and a musical instrument along with something like Moon River sheet music can be a good way to channel that interest in noise into something more creative. Encourage them to play along with a song they enjoy so they can think about the different parts of the music. Suggest they try to play as loudly and then as quietly as they can with different ways of making sound such as clapping or tapping a pan with a spoon. Another fun game to help them to build an understanding of beat and volume is to ‘wake’ a sleeping toy. Using one of their stuffed animals, ask the child to wake it up by playing loudly and make the toy go to sleep by playing softly. You could also move the toy around in time with the beat.

If your child is really responding to these ideas, it is the perfect time to enroll them in music lessons for their preferred instrument. To get started, simply enter a search for “music lessons in Melbourne’s northern suburbs” (or your local area). This will give your kiddo the opportunity to develop the skills beyond just having fun and a deeper appreciation for music altogether. Encourage regular practice time at home and you will be blown away at their first recital!

Move To Music:

Children often really love to dance, and you can support this with an enjoyment of music. Tempo is the speed in music, and children can get a good grasp of what this means by exploring it with their movements. Put on music and encourage your child to move as they listen. Watch to see what they do, then join in with them by copying their ideas. By mimicking their ideas, they will see that you value and are interested in what they think.

For some children, physically responding to the music might feel more natural than playing instruments or talking about music. Offer them lots of different genres of music to listen to and see how they respond and move to different kinds of music. You can pre order up and coming K-Pop music releases for some catchy tunes, or explore another genre altogether like classical or jazz. You might be surprised by what they actually enjoy the most. Music that has a range of tempos in it can be great fun.

Try listening to music from around the world too, from a range of cultures. This is a good way to explore music and encourage them to have a conversation with you about different cultures too.

Whether your child wants to be a rock star, a drummer like Joey Armstrong, a dancer, or just loves to listen to music, supporting this will be amazing fun for the both of you!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Aug26

LEGO Haul

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LEGO Haul

Hi! It has been a while since Johnny and I have purchased a LEGO set to build together but that has been resolved with this huge haul! One of our favorite weekly shows is LEGO Masters and after each episode we always name off which sets we want next. Recently, LEGO came out with a Seinfeld set of Jerry’s apartment and since we are such huge fans of the show, I couldn’t not get it! I also got a few more goodies too, thanks to a great promotion running on the LEGO website. Check it out:

When the massive box of LEGO finally arrived, I felt like a kid on Christmas day and couldn’t wait to bring the new sets home to Johnny. There was a promo running on the site for free shipping on fifty dollar plus purchases as well as receiving the boat set for free after spending a certain amount. I thought that this was a really good deal and knew that it never hurts to have more LEGO so I decided to go for it and purchased the Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets set too.

Although we haven’t bought new LEGO sets in months, Johnny and I already have quite an extensive collection of Harry Potter and Star Wars sets. The Seinfeld one was an absolute necessity and I can’t wait to build it with Johnny and am really eager to add onto our Hogwarts castle and grounds. Although the boat set is small, it is effective and inspired us to begin a nautical collection with pirate ships, islands, and adventure.

When it comes to building LEGO together, Johnny and I have it down to a science. Because of my acrylics, Johnny handles all of the small pieces and details while I build with the bigger bricks. We have spent countless hours building in our apartment while listening to music, laughing, and beaming with pride once our set is complete. ❤

I am dying to get started on these new sets and, like any LEGO enthusiast, we already know which ones we want to buy next. While we will never be at LEGO Master level, I do like to think that we are the best Brick Masters in our apartment! 😀

Do you like to build with LEGO? What is your favorite LEGO set? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Aug24

Road Trip!

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Road Trip!

Hi! Because I’m self employed and Johnny has limited days off, weekend getaways are the way to go for us to break up the monotony of the work week. This past weekend, we made a trip to Conneaut, Ohio which is about an hour and a half away to see the reenactments of D-Day. My Johnny is a huge history buff so when I found out this was happening, I knew we had to go and surprised him with tickets. Tomorrow, I will fill you in on the actual day spent on the beach and today I will talk about our trip so far. Let’s get to it:

We left for Conneaut pretty much as soon as I returned home from work on Thursday and arrived at our hotel right at six o’clock. We stayed at the OYO Hotel and let’s just say it left a lot to be desired. The carpets of our room were so badly stained it honestly looked like a murder scene. There were mystery hairs all over the room and bathroom too, which is insanely nasty. It is apparent that the rooms at the OYO don’t get cleaned thoroughly once a guest leaves and that is unacceptable – especially considering the price that we paid.

Despite being super turned off by the hotel, we were starving and headed to Sparky’s Place for dinner once we dropped our bags off. I wish I took pictures of the delicious burgers and cheese curds that we ordered but our meal was gone as soon as I thought to do so! I didn’t have anything to drink at Sparky’s but Johnny went with their house specialty of “Monkey Punch” which is basically an alcoholic fruit punch. I had one sip to try it and it was really good and I wasn’t expecting that at all because the different liquors listed in it sounded disgusting mixed together!

The cool part about our arrival on Thursday evening, other than our yummy dinner, was driving around Anytown, USA in Conneaut. There were military jeeps and guys in their uniforms driving all over town, having dinner, and mingling with the locals. That was cool, yes. But, the best part was seeing how excited Johnny was anytime any of these vehicles or gentlemen passed by. I can’t wait to see his reaction to the actual reenactments today. 🙂

Tune in tomorrow for more on our adventure in Conneaut. And, if ever you are in the area, do yourselves a huge favor and don’t stay at the OYO because it will have you saying “oh no” in a heartbeat! Whomp whompppppp.

Where is your favorite place to go for a weekend getaway? What was the best road trip you have ever been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

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Fun & Games: Seinfeld Edition

Hi! During a shopping outing with my mom and brother, I returned home with many a treat for Johnny and myself including a new game for us and a puzzle for me. FYE was running a buy one get one fifty percent off deal on their board games and puzzles and when I saw their options for Seinfeld related entertainment, I couldn’t pass it up! We already have two Seinfeld board games that include Clue and Festivus and I thought that one more couldn’t hurt. 😀 Check it out:

I love working on puzzles with my mom and brother and when I saw The Kramer portrait in puzzle form, I was sold instantly. I never work on puzzles at our apartment because we really don’t have a lot of free tabletop space. However, I can definitely make room for this one! Johnny doesn’t like doing puzzles too much so this will be nice for me to do to keep my hands busy while we’re watching our favorite programs. We plan on gluing and framing it once it’s complete. 🙂

The Seinfeld party game looked like a hoot and I laughed out loud about having to fish for the Marble Rye to win! Our favorite thing is having game nights with our friends and family and I knew that it would be a hit the next time the occasion calls for some board games. While we already have Seinfeld Scene It Trivia, this tabletop game is nice because you don’t need to bother with the TV to play it. I think that all of the Seinfeld fans in our circle will get a huge kick out of this!

It has been a while since Johnny and I purchased some new board games and activities so I was really happy with these purchases and I can’t wait to get started on my puzzle! 😀

What is your favorite board game? What is the biggest puzzle you have ever completed? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug21

Shimmy Shimmy Funko Pop

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Shimmy Shimmy Funko Pop

Hello! This past weekend, I had a super nice outing to one of the bigger malls in Strongsville with my mom and brother. I really don’t go to the mall often because we all know I love TJMaxx the most so when I do venture to one, I never feel bad about making purchases for items I really like. During my shopping, I picked out lots of treats that I knew Johnny would love too, including the following Funko Pops:

My brother has a huge Funko collection, which makes mine absolutely pale in comparison. However, I gave a nice little boost to my Funko shelf at home with the above purchases. I had no idea that they even made Seinfeld ones or I would have bought them a long time ago since it’s one of mine and Johnny’s favorite shows. I still need several more to complete the set but the Puffy Shirt Jerry, Yev Kassem, and Sombrero Elaine were a great place to start!

The Bret Michaels Funko definitely seems out of place with the rest of my haul but I promise that there was a method to the madness. When Johnny and I first started dating, our go to show was Rock Of Love which was a dating competition show with Mister Michaels as the prize. It was such a guilty pleasure and we still quote it constantly to this day. In fact, Johnny even got me a mini cardboard cutout of Bret for our first Christmas together and it is still proudly displayed in our living room.

With all of that nostalgia, I couldn’t say no when I saw the Bret Michaels Funko at Hot Topic and I knew that Johnny would get a kick out of it too. Rather, I knew he would get a kick (Or in Elaine’s case, a little kick!) out of all of them and we can’t wait to complete our Seinfeld Funko Pop collection! 😀

Which Funko Pops do you have? What do you like to collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug20

Jenks Building Haul

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Jenks Building Haul

Hi! This past Saturday, Johnny explored a new to us local business in our neck of the woods called the Jenks Building. Our good friends in the Buffalo Ryders were playing at this consignment shop/art gallery/music venue and it was basically the coolest place ever! While our band boys were playing, Johnny and I browsed through the Jenks Building and walked away with some awesome finds. Check it out:

The Jenks Building had everything you could ever imagine in their consignment shop – including an amazing beer and wine selection to sip while shopping. After purchasing a beverage, you got a free coozy to take home which was a very nice touch! From books and records to furniture, jewelry, and home decor this place had it all and we could have spent hours on end in there, as it was a huge property.

Johnny and I had a blast looking through the extensive record selection and are both particularly excited about the Smokey’s Family Robinson because you’re not going to not buy that. We actually listened to it that night and it was a banger, as anything by Smokey Robinson is. We have yet to listen to The Scooters and Kick Axe but I can’t wait to hear what they’re all about. Johnny also got U2’s The Joshua Tree special for me since I freaking love them. 🙂

The Jenks Building had a huge collection of quirky jewelry and I instantly fell in love with a tape measurer bracelet by Big Blue Moma. I have always wanted something like it and just had to purchase one for myself. While I am partial to the grey bracelet I selected, I wanted one in every color available like white and a buttery camel hue. So SO cute.

Prior to the pandemic, Johnny and I would always go secondhand shopping together and this was our first time doing that in well over a year. We both can’t wait to go back to the Jenks Building and see what other treasures we can find!

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

Aug19

Date Day!

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Date Day!

Hello! This past Saturday was so fun because Johnny and I had a date day. We were joined by fabulous friends along the way, got to explore a brand new to us consignment shop/art gallery, and heard some great live music. It was one of the best outings that we have had since being fully vaccinated and I can’t wait for many more to come! Let’s get to it:

On Saturday afternoon our dear friends in the band, the Buffalo Ryders, were playing at the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls. I have been dying to see them play again because they give me all of the Jack White vibes and the venue was a whole five minutes away from our apartment so we just had to go.

Our friends were playing at the Jenks Building and, despite living in CFalls, both Johnny and I had never heard of it. We plan on going there often now that we know it exists because it is literally the coolest place ever. It is a consignment shop/art gallery/music venue and as soon as we stepped inside, I felt like I wasn’t in Ohio but rather a big city. There just aren’t places like it or even remotely close to it in my neck of the woods.

Browsing through the Jenks Building was an adventure and I have never seen anything like it before. The basement was an art gallery with the most unique pieces I have ever laid eyes on and Johnny and I wanted all of them for our apartment. The ground floor is a consignment shop completely filled with treasures and a garage style area for bands to perform. There is a second floor, as well, with an in house painter and a photographer too and even more items you didn’t know you needed to look through.

Shopping around while hearing the Buffalo Ryders play was awesome and the Jenks Building had a huge beer selection so you could have a drink while you look around. Johnny and I both tried a fruity sour beer and it was delicious! We left with lots of amazing finds that you can see tomorrow and I can’t wait to go back so I can take pictures, interview the owner, and buy all of the things!

After the Buffalo Ryders set was over, we headed down the street together to mine and Johnny’s favorite cocktail bar, the Cashmere Cricket. Johnny and I went there for our first date and we celebrated at the Cricket after getting engaged too. Saturdays at the Cricket are the best because they make all of their drinks with dry ice! Our minds were blown when the beverages came out bubbling and smoking like a potion after our engagement and it was a hit with our boys in the band too.

dryice

It was so nice to hang out on the patio of the Cashmere Cricket with my husband and such wonderful company. The weather was great too. There was a much welcomed breeze which was so refreshing after the past week of stifling hot and rainy days. We already have plans to go back and, afterwards, I am making all of the guys watch Jesus Christ Superstar with me and I am beyond excited lol. 😀

When Johnny and I returned to the apartment, we Doordashed Taco Bell and played Pokemon Snap until one of our other band boys came by for a spell. As always, it was a hoot and it was so sweet of him to come by since he was in the area. ❤

Once our hang outs with friends were over, Johnny and I had our usual weekend festivities of listening to music, playing video games, and talking the night away. We got a couple of records at the Jenks Building so we listened to some of them and then turned to YouTube because we love introducing each other to our favorite songs and bands.

Our Date Day was a huge success and I am so excited to go back to the Jenks Building and many more Dry Ice Saturdays with our darling friends!

What is a perfect date like for you? Do you have any exciting upcoming plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah