Tag Archives: fun

Great Ways To De-Stress

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Great Ways To De-Stress

There are plenty of ways to relax. You can read a book, have a long bath, or watch your favorite movie with a takeout dinner. But what about those days when you can’t relax? You need to let off some steam after a hard day, and these things all seem too passive? You’re much too agitated to sit still. You need to de-stress and unwind before you are ready to chill out.

Well, fortunately, you don’t need to be stuck thinking about your day, winding yourself up more and more until you can’t sleep. With the right techniques, you can get yourself perfectly zen before hitting the sack. Here are some of the best ways to de-stress after a hard day:

Do Something Creative: Using your energy for something creative is a great way to burn it off, and you may even create something amazing. Draw, paint, or play an instrument. Even if you’re not creatively talented, you can always try something new and find that you really enjoy it – even if you’re not the best. You don’t need to be good at an instrument to have fun trying, check out kindsound.com for some ideas. You also don’t need to be a great artist to make a picture. Adult coloring means that anyone can spend time using creative energies. Have a look at justcolor.net for some great printables.

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So fun!

Go For A Run: Running is a brilliant way to de-stress. You don’t need to go anywhere special or invest in expensive equipment. You just need some cheap trainers to get started. Run straight out of your front door, focusing on the rhythm of your feet hitting the ground and feel your stress leaving your body. Run until you feel better or you can’t run anymore. Then, turn around and go home. You’ll feel more relaxed and confident, and you’ll get a fantastic night’s sleep.

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Pixabay Image

Do A Fitness Video: If you don’t fancy running, try an online fitness video, instead. There are plenty available on YouTube, but try something new like combat aerobics or boxercise to burn away some of that stress efficiently. Literally, punch it out of your body.

Have A Massage: Getting a massage is probably the most passive way to release your stress. You don’t have to do anything but lie there while someone else pounds the stress from your muscles, getting rid of your knots and helping to remove the tension from your body. Often after a good massage, people feel like a weight has been lifted from their shoulders. Swedish massages tend to be a very popular option and might be just what you need to unwind. If you are interested in learning more before you book an appointment, simply enter a search for “swedish massage in Missouri City, TX” (or your local area) to find the best massage therapists near you.

Massages are great for providing short term relief for stress. However, they are not going to be a cure for consistent pain, tension, or nerve issues. If this is something you are struggling with, it’s important to speak with your doctor. They might recommend physical therapy or perhaps Rolfing Structural Integration which is a combination of manual and movement therapy. Once your pain has improved, you will surely find that your stress levels will lower too.

Shout: If all else fails, scream and shout and let it all out! #britneyspears #will.i.am Sometimes there’s no better way to release everything than to scream. Go down to the bottom of your garden and scream your heart out. You might find that you feel much better afterward and who cares if you freak out the neighbors!

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Ahhhhh!

Finding a way to let your feelings out can calm you down enough that you can enjoy the rest of your evening and get a great night’s sleep. If you can let these negative energies out productively and safely, then treat yourself, you deserve it.

Featured Image By: Her Campus

Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Conclusion

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Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Conclusion

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! I’m here today to bring my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series to a close. I want to thank all of my amazing guest bloggers for making this season’s series such a success. All of you are welcome back on lifewithlilred anytime if you would like to pen another post for my readers or do a collaboration. I had so much fun chatting with all of you and it was such a pleasure to work with each of you. 🙂

I hope that all of my readers enjoyed my Falling For Fall series as much as I did working on it. See you next season change for a celebration of all things winter wonderland here on lifewithlilred!

What was your favorite post from this series? Who is going to join me as a guest blogger come wintertime? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Spur Your Creativity With A Photography Hobby: Here’s How

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Spur Your Creativity With A Photography Hobby: Here’s How

In an effort to become a more wholesome and interesting person in the world around you, it’s likely that you’ll find the need to be creative as high on the list of new things to try. One of the most popular and easy to begin methods of doing so is to pick up a photography hobby. This is a discipline that is totally easy to begin, but incredibly difficult to master. What’s more is that because the art is so subjective in terms of what makes a good photograph, that learning more can be difficult and frustrating. But much like creative disciplines, such as writing, there is a “good” and a “bad” way to go about your practice. If you wish to write but can’t write in a way in which the people around you can interpret it, your years as a professional writer are likely numbered, if not nonexistent.

Luckily, there does exist solid methods for overcoming these difficulties relating to photography. Remember, beginning a creative discipline never demands that you are a master of the art. It simply demands that you try, keep pushing your comfort zone, and also attempt things that help you feel happy and sustained within the hobby. Because if you can’t do that, then why bother picking it up in the first place? The following tips will help you continue your newly found passion with a sense of interest and progression:

Anyone Can Start: Many people think that in order to begin photography you need to make a huge financial investment in the equipment. This is simply not true. Smartphones these days often have cameras capable of taking pictures in 4K and also come loaded with compositional lenses built into the software of the camera.

Of course, this is no substitute to a quality SLR camera with actual lenses, but it can help you start and get an idea for framing well. Taking pictures, no matter the device which is used is more of a matter of personal taste and ambition than what lenses you use. The effect is all that matters. It’s unlikely that while attending a photography gallery you’ll hear people complimenting the use of lenses. It’s usually the achieved effect which is the most important, so don’t feel stifled by a lack of equipment just yet, especially in the early days.

Study Skilled Photographers: Skilled photographers are a dime a dozen, so it’s worth looking at people who have managed to make it their career or working passion. For example, artists such as Peter Lik have crafted an interesting niche for themselves by taking stunning landscape photography, selling his work for millions. It’s important to understand just how great and motivational this can be. You should never be in photography for the profit motive, as you’re likely to be disappointed until you can truly call yourself a master of the craft. However, seeing the best examples around can help you feel inspired to truly dare to take the best shots awaiting you. See your life through the lens as these folks do, and you may even train your eye to take in the world around you much more perceptively.

A budding photographer worthy of fame and recognition may wait inside of you. But you’ll only know if you’re willing to practice and fail. Good luck!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

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Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

Hello everyone and welcome to a super cool arts and crafts post made by the darling Sandra of Lifestyle.UA! I am really excited about this post because Sandra went through the trouble of making a video for my Falling For Fall series of how to create some gorgeous fall crafts, which has never been done on lifewithlilred before. Sandra will give you the step by steps on how to create a lovely candle and fall dream board for all of your DIY pleasure. Take a look:

Pinterest Inspired Fall DIY

Hello! Autumn is coming soon so it’s time to get ready. I have prepared two easy DIYs for all of you to decorate your homes with during the fall. My video will start with the Cinnamon Candle and then will move on to the Ombre To Do List Board. You will need the following materials listed below. Happy crafting!
What I used for the Cinnamon Candle: 
1. 3 candles
2. a pot
3. cinnamon
4. spices and dried flowers or fruits
What I used for the Ombre To Do List Board:
1. acrylic paint (white, red, orange)
2. a white board
3. hot glue
4. rope
5. a pen
And here is a step by step video of how to create them:

Have fun!
INSTAGRAM // @diy_lifestyle.ua and @sandrachery
Tumbr: Sandra Cherry “
Thank you so much again to Sandra for creating such fun crafts for my readers! How do you DIY in the fall? Are you crafty or craft store catastrophe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New England Fall Fun

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New England Fall Fun

Hello everyone and welcome to another fabulous post in my Falling For Fall series compliments of the sweet Ashley from Ashley Beth Beauty! One of the most well traveled areas in the US when fall time hits is New England. The beauty of the leaves changing on thousands of trees makes it an obvious travel spot, so what better way to learn more about New England than from a local?! Today, Ashley will be telling us about some amazing places to visit on your next NE vaca:

New England Fall Fun

Hey everyone! Today I’m going to talk about some different activities to do during your visit to New England this fall. From leaf peeping to apple picking and learning about the history of early America, there are many activities to do here, like the following:

New Hampshire’s White Mountains: If you want the ultimate fall experience in New England, visit the Omni Mount Washington Resort. It is in the heart of New Hampshire and there are plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful with the most breathtaking views. Since you are in the middle of Mount Washington, there are great hiking trails nearby with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert. If you have little ones, check out Story Land or Santa’s Village, which are both theme parks with shows, rides, and attractions. Another option is the Cog Railway. It is a three hour round trip train ride that will bring you to the top of Mount Washington. Talk about leaf peeping!

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Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials: The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. Now the town of Salem brings the history and stories of these people to life. You can visit everything from the Salem Witch Museum to the historic House Of The Seven Gables. These are amazing activities for the history buffs, all while experiencing the beautiful foliage of Massachusetts. This city is located on the coast so you can learn a little history, shop, and check out Pickering Wharf.

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Vermont Maple Syrup Tour: Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, VT is a 550 acre farm, which is run by the Luce family. You can visit this farm and learn about the process of making and collecting maple syrup. They also make cheeses that you are welcome to sample. Not only do you learn a lot at this farm, but the views are absolutely amazing. You can hike along the trails and the ride up to Vermont is just gorgeous. Visit here during the fall, and the leaves and clear sky will make for great photos and memories. Check out their website for more information at http://www.sugarbushfarm.com !

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Hope you all are inspired to take a fall trip to New England!

Xoxo

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Thank you so much again to Ashley from Ashley Beth Beauty for providing us with some fabulous New England travel info! Where is your favorite spot to visit in the fall? How does the area that you live in embrace autumn? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Playbuzz

Monday Update: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Lineup

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Monday Update: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers Series Lineup

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This week and the next are going to be very exciting here on lifewithlilred, because my Falling For Fall guest bloggers series premieres tomorrow. Every day you can tune in here at 1 PM for posts from amazing bloggers from all over the world as they tell you how they welcome fall through their travel, beauty, DIY, style, and so much more. It’s safe to say that this series has been one of my favorites yet and I’m really excited to share it with all of you. The lineup will be as follows:

Tomorrow my Falling For Fall series will kickstart for some nonstop fun on lifewithlilred and I just know that all of you are going to love it! How was everyone’s weekend? Are some of your favorite bloggers featured on my lineup? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Liebster Award #9

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Liebster Award #9

Hi everyone and happy Thursday!! Today is an exciting day because lifewithlilred just got nominated for its ninth Liebster Award. I want to thank my kind nominator, Karissa from Karissa Jacksn so much for thinking of lifewithlilred while creating your post! Karissa is absolutely darling and I know that you’ll enjoy her page so do check it out and give it some love! Now, let’s get to the rules:

The Rules:

  • Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you.
  • Answer the 11 questions given by the blogger.
  • Nominate 11 other bloggers.
  • Ask 11 new questions for them to answer.

Q & A:

Where is your favorite hangout spot? I love going to the Cashmere Cricket with my friends. It’s my favorite bar and it has the most amazing martinis!

What reminds you most of your childhood? Uhhh, I don’t know, I never really thought about it.

What is your favorite candy? Anything sour! I love Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, Sour Skittles, and Shockers.

Texting or calling? Why? It really depends. If I’m trying to have an in depth conversation or make plans with someone, then definitely calling. But if it’s just a “whatever” chit chat, then texting it is!

What is your favorite drink? I like water and coffee. My favorite pop is Diet Coke. My favorite alcoholic drink is moscato and the Strawberry Lemon Drop Martinis from the Cashmere Cricket.

If you could live on a different planet, would you do it? Why? Why not?! If it were an actual civilization and not some barren wasteland, then sure!

Are you now, or were you ever afraid to go to the dentist? Yes! I always have been. I hate going to the dentist and the eye doctor because anything to do with teeth or eyes makes me really squeamish. This all stems from my love of horror movies because so many flicks have painful scenes that have to do with teeth or eyes and that just really gets to me. Freaking YUCK.

Do you have any celebrity crushes? Do I ever! Jack White, Marilyn Manson, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few!

Did you decorate your living space? Do you like it? No I didn’t because I’m still at home. But I don’t hate it or anything – it’s home!

City or Suburb? Why? Mmmm…suburb. Cities would just be too much for me and the constant noise and hustle and bustle would be so anxiety provoking, in my opinion.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self? Not to get so worked up about what other people think.

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is your favorite social media platform?
  2. What is your favorite holiday to celebrate?
  3. How do you treat yourself when you need a pick me up?
  4. Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
  5. What do you normally do on a day off?
  6. What is your favorite thing to write about?
  7. Favorite television show?
  8. Something that really annoys you?
  9. No makeup for two weeks or wearing the same outfit for a week?
  10. What is your favorite emoji?
  11. What do you normally order when you’re at a restaurant?

Thank you so much again to Karissa for nominating lifewithlilred for its ninth Liebster Award! How would you answer some of Karissa’s questions for her nominees? How about some of my questions for mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Dream Dressing Room

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Lil Red’s Dream Dressing Room

Hi everyone and happy Monday!! Any fashionista can agree that having a huge walk in closet would be the dream. What would yours include? A wall dedicated to your shoe collection? Display cases full of accessories? A tech system that matches your outfits for you a la Cher in Clueless? An in home Dressing Room where you could escape and be surrounded by pretty things sounds like just what the doctor ordered to me! And since we’re on the subject, mine would look something like this:

Lil Red’s Dream Dressing Room

The Color Palette:

My dressing room would be my goth queen lair so the obvious color choices for my room would be black, red, and white. I’m thinking deep, midnight black walls, one oxblood accent wall, and bright, white display features to pop against such a dark palette.

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You get the idea!

The Fixtures:

As I said before, crisp white shelving is a must in my walk in closet and each wall would have its own purpose:

Wall 1) I would want an entire wall of cubby holes dedicated to my shoe collection (I have over fifty pairs!), along with a gorgeous white wooden ladder on wheels to reach those high up pumps!

Wall 2) The second wall would house shelving for pieces of clothing that need to be folded on one side and accessories on the other like hats and purses.

Wall 3) Wall number three would feature two sturdy white iron bars for clothes that need hanging like jackets, dresses, skirts, and my black skinny jean collection. The sliding ladder from my shoe wall would also come in handy here, since your girl is only 5’1!

Accent Wall 4) Finally, on my oxblood accent wall, I would want a huge and very well lit full length mirror so that I could evaluate my outfit choices and give it the yay or nay. On both sides of the mirror, I would have glass display cases of jewelry so that I could easily add or take away accessories depending on what the outfit needs.

** And, of course, organization on my walls is extremely important. For shoes, I would display them according to their style and my clothes would be organized by season and color.

The Lighting:

Having excellent lighting in my dressing room is crucial, since the color palette on the walls is so dark. Although I do love the smaller pendant lights from Arhaus, my goth lair calls for a gigantic chandelier! I would want three chandeliers hanging from the ceiling at varying lengths with each individual one being black, white, or red. You can shop Arhaus’s lighting page for your own illuminating inspiration and then check out mine, which looks like this:

Miscellaneous Additions:

If I had my Dream Dressing Room, my friends and I would be spending a lot of time in there, so additional extras are very important. My room would definitely need:

  • A mini fridge stocked with wine and Diet Coke at all times.
  • An excellent sound system.
  • A TV to watch rom-coms with the girls.
  • A gorgeous vanity stocked with makeup and hair styling supplies.

Can you say dream hang out, or?!

Obviously, my walk in closet would have to be huge and my budget would have to be even bigger – but it isn’t called Lil Red’s Dream Dressing Room for nothing! What would be in your dream closet? Am I missing anything in mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Giphy

Sunshine Blogger Award #4

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Sunshine Blogger Award #4

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! I am so thrilled that lifewithlilred has been nominated for its fourth Sunshine Blogger Award by my friend, Sarah, at Vintage Tea Rose. Not only does Sarah have the best name on the planet but she also runs a fabulous blog, which all of you should check out ASAP! Now, let’s get on to the rules for this award:

The Rules:

  • Thank the blogger who has nominated you for this award.
  • Answer the 11 questions that the blogger asked you.
  • Nominate 11 new blogs and write 11 new questions for them.
  • List the rules and display the logo of the sunshine blog award in your post.

Q & A:

Do you remember any of your dreams? Can you describe one? I have the absolute craziest dreams. You know how people dream about their teeth falling out? Ever since I started getting my talon nails three years ago, I have a reoccurring dream where I’m digging through dirt with my bare hands and my nails are breaking off in the process. Whenever I wake up, I’m so thankful to see that my claws are all still there!

Do you have any family tradition that you want to carry on? Uhh…None that I can think of haha my family doesn’t really have any special traditions. Then again, we usually all get margarita drunk during one of our birthdays. Yeah, I’ll carry out that tradition, for sure!

Who do you laugh the hardest with and why? My mom!! Omg, I always laugh when I’m with her because we both find the same silly things hysterical so once one of us starts laughing it’s totally contagious! For example, a judge on one of our favorite TV shows laughed really funnily and we re-winded the show so many times to hear it again and we were just crying with laughter! Like I said, it’s silly stuff that we think is funny while other people are like “what is wrong with them?”.

What has been the best piece of advice you have received? “Haters gonna hate”, which was on a wrist band that my best friend gave me for like my fifteenth birthday.

Would you rather never read another book or never watch another film/TV show? I love to read, so I would be okay without TV or movies, I suppose.

You’ve been arrested! What have you most likely done? Ooooh, let’s see…If I ever got arrested, it would probably be for a mishap while I’m really wine drunk, lol AYYYY.

Do you have a personal motto that you live by? What is it? Meh, not really.

Do you have a favorite post that you’ve written? Link to it. Meh, again, not really.

What is one of your pet peeves? When people ask me how I do anything with my talon nails! It’s so freaking annoying. -_-

Name one song that you never get tired of hearing. “Beautiful Day” by U2.

What’s something that your brain tries to make you do but you have to will yourself not to do it? Blow my bank account in one huge shopping spree!! Believe me, I think about it on the daily. It’s my cross to bear, I suppose. 😉

My Nominees (I’m only doing three):

My Questions For You:

  1. What is your favorite candy or sweet treat?
  2. What is a staple piece in your wardrobe?
  3. What is your least favorite color?
  4. Texting or phone calls?
  5. Favorite way to spend a day off?
  6. What was your favorite childhood toy?
  7. What are some of your favorite things about yourself?
  8. Do you have a favorite hobby other than blogging?
  9. If you were a boy do you know what your name would have been?
  10. What is your favorite name for a boy? For a girl?
  11. What is something that you are afraid of?

Thank you so much again to the sweet Sarah of Vintage Tea Rose for lifewithlilred’s fourth Sunshine Blogger Award! How would you answer some of Sarah’s questions for her nominees? How about some of the questions that I asked mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pajama Party: My Calvins Pt. 2 Edition

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Pajama Party: My Calvins Pt. 2 Edition

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day!! I would by no means say that I care deeply about designer clothing and accessories. A majority of my shopping is done at Target, TJMaxx, and Forever 21 and I’m extremely okay with that. However, we all have our favorite high end designers that we love to ogle over. Myself, for example? I love Michael Kors shoes. I adore Kate Spade and Betsey Johnson accessories. And, I also can’t get enough of Calvin Klein everything!

I would never ever pay full price for any of the designer goods that I listed above, but I definitely am inclined to make a purchase if I see any of their duds at TJMaxx. I’ve gotten gorgeous Michael Kors booties, darling Betsey Johnson jewelry, and sweet Kate Spade accessories for a fraction of their original price tag. However, my past two times at TJs has resulted in Calvin Klein sleepwear that I’m simply obsessed with, including these new pajama pants that I purchased this weekend:

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  • Original Price: $42
  • TJMaxx Price: $15

I genuinely love pajamas and I’ve accumulated a collection this year that I am very happy with. To me, there is nothing better than slipping into a sweet nightie or a cozy flannel top and pants set and crawling into bed. It’s such a simple pleasure but, to me, it feels luxurious and I am all about a ballin on a budget life of luxury. And to think that up until now I was literally just sleeping in unwanted, god knows how old t-shirts!

I was so excited about these pajama pants because I had recently purchased the matching pair of boxers, which I love! They also had a nightie in this pattern that I shied away from because I didn’t much care for the shape. These pajama bottoms look cool and comfortable and I can’t wait to wear them during a chilly fall night while tucked under a million blankets.

What I love the most about these sleep pants is the feeling of “treating myself” that I got when I made the purchase. You would be a fool to spend over forty bucks on a pair of pajama bottoms. But fifteen? I can swing that! I get to hit the hay in one of my favorite designer’s sleepwear and it feels kind of naughty and absurd. But the fact that I got it for an amazing price makes the feeling of almost foolishness that comes with the territory of sleeping in designer duds totally guilt free and a whole lot of fun.

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So there you have it, Lil Red’s Pajama Party: My Calvins Pt. 2 Edition! How do you treat yourself? Who is your favorite high end designer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah