Hi everyone and happy weekend! This week I’ll be working on a very fun post for a super chic company that I am so excited for. I can’t give away all of the details but I’ll give you guys a little hint with the picture below:
What do you think the balloon says? Can you guess the theme of the Mystery Post? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hiii guys and TGIF!! As you all know, my Think Spring Guest Bloggers Series will be debuting on February 15th and I am SO excited. It does seem a bit far away, though, so I thought that I would share with you the lineup of writers that I have for a six day extravaganza to discuss all aspects on spring here on lifewithlilred from friends located all over the world. Please be sure to check out the pages of all of my wonderful guest bloggers and if you’re interested in throwing together a quick post for the series, I am more than happy to tack you on to the end of the lineup. Just shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com and we’ll figure something out!
Yayayay!! I can’t wait to share all of the spring spirited posts provided from the aforementioned with everyone, which will hopefully shake away the blahs of winter with the promise of blooming flowers and warmer weather soon. Until then, what are you most looking forward to come spring? What is your favorite spring time memory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
What are you usual plans for a Friday night in? Do you go out to the bar with your colleagues? Maybe you have a lovely dinner with your partner or family members at a fancy restaurant? Or perhaps you like to visit the cinema and catch up on the latest film releases? Whatever your decision, there’s always the option of staying indoors with your friends and family.
But why? There are plenty of good reasons to stay indoors, such as the reduced cost of having an entertaining night or the freedom of doing what you like and not having to be around crowds, loud music, and sloppy drunk patrons. If you’d like to switch it up this week and enjoy a night in, here are a couple of ideas to get you excited for a change of pace:
Movie Night: Having a movie night can almost become a ritual if you do it often enough. It’s a night to look forward to because you get to catch up on the latest shows or movies with your friends while stuffing your faces with pizza, tacos, or any kind of greasy fast food. It’s cheap as well thanks to subscription services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. There are even specialized services, such as Crunchyroll, if you’d prefer to watch something like anime.
With so many shows and films available on the internet, it’s hard to get bored or stumped on what to watch. You could even have a video night where you browse funny and interesting YouTube videos together with your friends and family, and with the growing library of content you’ll always have something fun to watch.
Bingo Night: Bingo might be associated with seniors playing in a club or retirement home, but it’s still a fun and exciting game that is suitable for the whole family. No matter how old or young the players, bingo is a fun game that can be played almost anywhere. You don’t need complicated machinery either because you can play bingo online and use online tools to draw numbers and print off bingo cards. Or you could take things one step further and make the cards relateable to the players by using their initials and inside jokes or memories as the calling criteria.
Gaming Party: Almost everyone has played a video game once in their life, and it’s becoming increasingly popular for young adults, parents, and children to engage in video game parties. Set up a large television in the living room, grab loads of snacks, and connect four controllers to your video game console of choice and play together. You could even get party games such as Just Dance which is fun even if you’re not a gamer—you don’t even need controllers because you can play with your phone!
Board Game Night: Board games have been somewhat forgotten because of the rise of video games, but it’s still a hobby enjoyed by many people around the world. Whether it’s a humble game of Monopoly or something more immersive such as Dungeons and Dragons, there are plenty of board games and pen and paper games for you to play with your family and friends. Board games aren’t very expensive (they cost about as much as a video game or less) and you can have countless hours of fun with them if you keep them in good condition. Board games also provide the opportunity for some amazing keepsakes for your gaming crew. A surprise like custom Monopoly pieces or Dungeons and Dragons Dice will not only come in handy but commemorate your time together.
Board game specific stores, cafes, and bars have been increasingly popular and for good reason. It is just pure fun whether you are on the go or at home. My husband and I are avid fans of board games and we have some advice. Prior to making a purchase on a site like Backwoods Wizards or your local game store, do your research! We have made the mistake of buying games simply because they look fun but found the rules to be difficult and extensive when we tried to play. Your favorite game store or website will have games for every skill level and interest and will have great options for you when you know what you want in the first place!
Featured Image By: Pexels
Another award?! Ahhhh! Thank you so much to the darling Juli for nominating me for the Mystery Blogger Award. What a fabulous surprise to wake up to two awards this morning! Juli’s page at Blonde’s Tea is a wonderful blog to get lost in so definitely take a look and give her some love. And also, shout out to Enigma who is the creator of this award! OKAY, let’s see the rules:
Favorite place you’ve visited?
Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I’ve been there twice and constantly think about going there again! Harry Potter World is my favorite place to be!
A place you’d love to visit?
Europe, Europe, and oh yeah – Europe.
Your dream job?
It sounds silly, but I would love to be a fashion model! Ugh, the clothes, the lifestyle, everything about it just sounds like a dream to me.
If you could have 3 wishes, what would you wish? (more or infinite wishes is not an answer)
If I told you, my wishes wouldn’t come true.
Something you can’t live without?
My beloved car!! I work multiple jobs which all consist of driving so I would be nowhere (literally) without the Little Red Love Machine.
Thank you so much again to the darling Juli for the nomination! You’re a doll! How would you answer some of Juli’s questions? How about mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyy everyone and happy Hump Day! Oh my goodness! So many awards, so little time – but thankfully, I freaking love doing these posts so it’s time well spent. Super special thanks to one of my darling friends, Jackie, for nominating me for my fourth One Lovely Blog Award. Miss Jackie is going to be one of my featured bloggers for my Think Spring series so be on the lookout for her in the next couple of weeks but, until then, check out her page here! Okay, let’s get to the rules:
Thank you so much again to Jackie for the nomination! You’re the best! What is one fun fact about yourself? How do you shake away the midweek blahs? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Homeowners are keen to turn a new house into their family home pretty much as soon as they move in. Even though they can be excited to start redesigning a new property, life can often get in the way and ends up slowing down this whole makeover. But don’t worry if you start to lose time to fix up your new house – there is plenty that you can do to stamp your own personality into a house no matter how long you have been living in it! Here are some super easy and quick fixes that can help you personalize your own home:
Use Plenty of Color: Homes in which the predominant colors are whites and creams are often regarded as quite austere and sterile. That is certainly not what you want to aim for if you want a home that pops with your personality! So be sure to use plenty of color in your rooms. You can go bold and paint your walls with bright colors. Sound a bit too intense for your tastes? Instead, opt for neutral shades on your walls but add bright accessories for bursts of color. You’ll find lots of colorful accessories by looking at sites like the Versace Home decor and furniture website.
Share Your Memories: No one will have the exact same memories as you do, so one great way to splash your personality all over your home is to share all your memories. There are various ways you can do this. For example, you could hang photos from all of your adventures abroad in your living room. You might even like the idea of collecting all your trinkets and souvenirs from around the world together and showcasing them in a display cabinet. Displaying family photos is also a great way to show off your fantastic memories, especially if your kids are no longer babies. Nothing beats cute baby pics!
Show Off Your Hobbies: No matter what your hobby may be, there will certainly be ways of incorporating it into your interior design. For example, if you have an artistic side, you might like to create your own artworks to hang on your walls. If you love watching the birds in your garden, you could think about taking some photographs to hang on your walls. Love sports? Then why not buy some decorative sports equipment to display in your home. For instance, a vintage tennis racquet or a cricket bat will look very stylish propped up in your hall with smart lighting around it.
Get Your Kids To Help: I’m sure your kids will love having their pictures and drawings stuck onto the doors of your fridge. But why not spread them out around the house? You can frame the best ones and display them in your living and dining rooms. There are also some companies who will take a drawing that your child has done and print it onto a cushion cover. That will be a super cute touch to any living room!
Make boring and blah a thing of the past and add a touch of fun into your home with these tips.
Featured Image By: Pexels
Hiii everyone and TGIF! So I was nominated by my darling friend, Jackie, over at Makeup & Beyond for the Blogger Recognition Award. I love doing these things, I think that they are so fun so many thanks to Jackie for the nomination! Jackie is a good friend of mine with a fabulous page so please make sure to check it out AND be on the lookout for a guest post from her on my Think Spring series coming soon to lifewithlilred. Okay, let’s get to it:
Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story of how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.
So about two and a half years ago when my blog baby, lifewithlilred, was just being conceived, I was getting ready to start college at Tri-C. I was going on my fourth year of working a shitty retail job and was at a place in my life where I felt like I wasn’t really doing much of anything. I had always been commended by many people for my personal style and had often been urged by others to create a blog because they would definitely read it.
Finally, after the millionth time of being advised to start a blog, I rolled my eyes and said “fine” and got to work. Lil Red was a nickname given to me because of my bright red hair and lipstick by one of my favorite coworkers so I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into my blog title somehow. lifewithlilred just seemed to roll off the tongue perfectly and after a name was settled, I went from there. Two and a half years later and I am read in over one hundred and seventy countries and I could not be more thankful for my beloved readers and the encouragement to start this crazy little slice of my life website by my friends and strangers many moons ago! ❤
Once again, thank you to Jackie for the nomination for the Blogger Recognition Award and I can’t wait to host you on my page soon! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any big plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hiii everyone and happy Tuesday! This past weekend I did a little shopping to beat the winter blahs of January away and I ended up with a super cute new dress from Target. As I entered the store, I was so happy to see that they had their spring clothing on display. The winter weather in Ohio has been unusually, freakishly mild this year – we’re talking weather in the 50s and 60s. So, needless to say, I have definitely been thinking spring! I am a bit sad that I haven’t gotten to make use out of all of my gorgeous cold weather clothing but I can’t complain about this warm streak of weather when Ohio winters are usually bitter cold.
Not only did the spring style temps inspire me to buy myself something pretty but I also got my new dress to spice up my work wardrobe. I have grown weary of wearing the same pants and a blazer during the days when I’m bopping around visiting different day programs and group homes so I thought some fun new dresses would be a perfect way to go. For work, I always enjoy pairing up a dress with some tall riding boots and tights to create a look that is posh and profesh rather than too revealing. Take a look at my newest work and play wardrobe addition:
What I love the most about this dress is the shape and, of course, the color! Mustard yellow is one of those colors that happens to look really good on me thanks to the pasty pale skin and red hair so whenever I see something cute in this color, I always have to try it on! I love the base color of this dress but I also think that the periwinkle blue, cream, and pink floral pattern looks gorgeous over top of it. This dress reminds me a bit of my all time favorite dress from Urban Outfitters but I think that it is so darling that I don’t even care!
The other fantastic thing about my new dress is the shape. It looks like a seriously seventies style frock and I think that it’s just perfect. The buttons down the front add some edge while the fluttering, flowy sleeves add a sweet touch of 1970s glam. I can’t wait to pair this dress with my tan knee high riding boots for work and then ditching the boots for my pair of BCBGeneration cut out heels for play as seen below:
If you have spring on your mind and are getting winter cabin fever, then you better head to Target and get your shop on. Their spring collection is filled with pretty frocks, kimono tops, and a whole lot of girly fun!
How do you rock a business casual work outfit? What clothing items are you most looking forward to wearing when the warm weather finally hits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Getting fit as a family is a great way to ensure that you all stay healthy and happy in the long run. If you start while your kids are young, you’re going to be teaching them great habits. They’ll learn that exercise and staying active is not a chore and become healthier adults. If you want to make sure that your fitness sessions together are never boring, here are some adventurous ways to get fit as a family:
Skiing: Skiing can be an amazing way to get fit for the whole family AND it’s also a great excuse to take a vacation together to practice your new skills. You’ll need lessons first, but then you can practice to your heart’s content. It can take some getting used to, but this is usually a hobby that stays with people for life.
Hiking: Hiking far and wide gives you a chance to explore the areas around you. You can hike famous trails, mountains, or even lesser known trails just for the views. You should be able to see some amazing things, burn some calories, get the benefits of exercising outside, and bond as a family. If you want a treat, you could even pack a picnic to eat at a nice spot on your journey.
Biking: You never forget the bike rides you enjoy together as a family. There’s nothing quite like cycling through somewhere scenic on a warm day with your family in toe. Maybe stopping somewhere for a snack and then continuing later on. Biking is so much fun that your family will barely realize they’re exercising. Buying your own bikes can be pricey at first, so it could be a good idea to rent a few and see how you feel after a couple of rides.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you might want to hit more rugged trails to bike on. However, you will need the proper bike to do so. A bike like the Surron electric bike adapts from paved trails to tough terrain with ease and allows you to explore places you would never experience on a regular bike. No matter what kind of bike you are riding, please be sure to wear a helmet!
Scuba Diving: If you want to try out some water sports as a family and you want something truly different, then scuba diving could be an option. You can do this on many exciting holiday resorts if you’re going away, but there are centers where you can get some practice in at, too. You will of course need to ensure you have the right gear, such as the Octobermoon second generation mask. Read reviews to make sure you make the right choice for yourself and your family.
Trampolining: You don’t need any kind of skill or any lessons to start trampolining. Simply climb on and bounce away! Kids can do this for hours without getting bored, and it’s a great form of cardio exercise for adults, too. Doing it together is lots of fun! You don’t even need to buy one of those huge trampolines for your garden, as there are many centers that have whole rooms filled with trampolines so that you can bounce yourself crazy!
Try out these adventurous ways to get fit as a family and you’ll all have such a great time that you won’t even realize you’re getting fit and healthy in the process! Now that’s a win win if I’ve ever heard one.
Hi everyone and happy weekend!! My dear friend, Carlie, and I decided that it would be super fun to do a style swap themed blog post – and of course we were right! During our communications via email we each assigned each other a style that we might not dress in on a regular day. If you’ve seen Carlie’s blog before, you’ll know that she is the epitome of pinup girl rocker chic and that is something that I am so not! Knowing this, I thought that it would be a friendly challenge to give Carlie the task of creating a preppy look while she assigned me with styling a pinup girl OOTD.
Quite honestly, I know nothing about pinup girl and rockabilly style so I had to turn to good ol’ Google Images to assist me with my challenge. After scouring the pics for a while, I noticed a common theme of cute curls and sassy updos, tied at the waist plaids, flirty dresses, and bustier tops. Unfortunately, I don’t really have any dresses or tops in my wardrobe that give a super accentuated cleavage while providing a tiny waist line because I’m just not comfortable with that, so I had to think outside of the box. Here’s what I came up with:
What I Wore:
I’m going to keep it real with you guys – some of the pieces in this outfit are like six years old haha I’ve had my GoodWill Hollister top and Calico heels for ages. But it felt good to be able to style such a cute and sassy look for under thirty dollars with some oldie but goodie wardrobe essentials.
However, I knew that just an adorbs outfit wasn’t going to be enough because in pinup girl fashion, there seemed to be a huge emphasis on hair. I rarely ever make an effort at curling my hair because it’s simply a matter of preference – I love when my hair is pin straight. I knew my curls wouldn’t be perfect because I have no practice doing it, but I gave it a go anyways with my flat iron and surprisingly loved the way it turned out. I felt like my effort looked like an ode to pinup girl style without being super obvious and I even felt encouraged to wear my hair like that again in the future. And, of course, pinup girls wouldn’t be pinup girls without a cherry red lip so I broke out my tried and true NYX True Red matte lippie to complete the look.
Finally, it was picture time! In all of the pictures that I studied to give me some pinup girl inspiration, I noticed that there were a lot of specific poses that seemed to be used constantly. Popped legs, bent knees with your hands on your thighs, and a booty tooch with an arched back for starters. So, I practiced in the mirror and then had my dad who is super handy with a camera snap away.
After three or so minutes, I took a look at the pics and was SO happy with the results. After seeing the look come together in the photos, I felt like it was easy to recognize what style I was emulating while stilling giving it a fun Lil Red twist. I was going for a more modern pinup girl look and I hate to toot my own horn – but I think I nailed it!
So now, the question is: Would I wear a pinup girl style look again? I can’t say that this would be an every day look for me but it was fun to change things up. I can see myself wearing an outfit like this during the summertime while going to the pool or browsing around my favorite outdoor shopping mall. However, I think that I would try to tone the look down depending on where I was by throwing on a pair of combat boots or an edgier heel so the look wasn’t so cutesy because I am a punk girl at heart!
So there you have it, my Pinup Girl Style Swap! Make sure to check out Carlie’s preppy look transformation, too! How would you describe your style? What type of style or clothing do you rarely find yourself wearing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
lifewithlilred 