Tag Archives: gift card

Jul11

Brunch Babe OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 11, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Brunch Babe OOTD! There is nothing better than wearing new clothes and I was so excited to bust out my new top featured in this look by Caroline Constas. It was the ultimate Brunch Babe, farmers market fierce little number I needed for a late morning trip to First Watch! Before I could ever so carefully dig into brunch to avoid a spill on my new duds, pictures were in order. Take a peek at these yikes pics and let’s discuss an instance that simply delighted me this past week:

Apparently REALLY deep in thought or sleep

Hanging on for dear life

The queen of brunch making an appearance

Hanger may or may not have been setting in

Flipping the hair to shake off any negativity

When I was little, I prided myself on being the best “finder” lol. Someone in my family was always losing something and I was excellent at finding where the misplaced item was. In my old age, however, I fear I may be losing my touch. My eldest niece decided to put together a scavenger hunt with Bluey toys for her little sister at chez grandparents. Lil sis ended up finding almost all of them, but big sis forgot where she put two of the toys (lol) and my parents asked if I would look for them. I searched high and low for the members of the Bluey gang for what felt like forever and, sadly, had no luck. Luckily, I manifested finding something else instead…

For Christmas, I got my mom a gift card to Elysian Nails. Fast forward a few months later when she was ready to cash in her manicure and we couldn’t find the gift card anywhere. Like the Bluey toys, I looked everywhere and ended up convinced it might have been thrown out on accident. When I was on my own scavenger hunt for Bluey’s friends, I thought about how awesome it would be to find the gift card too. A minute or two later, I took off the lid of a decorative pot in the kitchen and gasped at its contents. The Elysian Nails gift card was sitting three feet from my usual spot at the kitchen table this entire time! It was a Christmas in July miracle but I am not hanging up my detective’s cap yet. I will not rest until the remainder of the Bluey toys are returned back to my nieces!

It took seven months to find the missing gift card so maybe in seven months the Bluey toys turn up? Either way, I am on the case!

Have you found anything that has been missing for a while? Where was it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr10

New Stunner Shades

Posted on April 10, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I love treating myself to a new pair of sunglasses every once in a while because it’s a cheap and fun way to change things up. However, I feel like there comes a point every year when all of my sunglasses are on the fritz. They might be crooked, scratched, or straight up broken but the damage to each pair always seems to happen really closely to each other, leaving me with crappy back up sunnies as a replacement. This just so happened to be the case recently so I made a quick stop at TJMaxx to purchase a few new pairs with the rest of my Christmas gift cards. Check them out:

^^^ The first pair is Lucky Brand and the second pair is by House of Harlow. Also one time the dumpster behind me was on fire and it was crazy!

Over the years, I have experimented in sunglasses in every possible shape, style, and color. From aviators and cat eyes to gigantic hater blockers in all shades of the rainbow, chances are I have been there done that. So when I am looking for new sunnies, I am on the hunt for something that is totally different. I definitely think I found that with my two newest additions! These two pairs totaled to twenty dollars and they are, easily, some of the best I purchased in recent memory.

I was very excited to find some Lucky Brand sunglasses because it’s one of my all time favorite brands and these circular frames are spot on. Circular sunnies are a style that I like a lot but they tend to be more miss than a hit. The frames are usually pretty small and it does me no favors. The Lucky Brand pair might not be a true circle in shape but it is close enough and the size is just right. Not too big, not too small and I love the quirky bridge of the nose. I have been wearing them every day since I got them last week and I just feel so cool every time I put them on. 😀

Next up is the unique pair by House of Harlow, another brand that I am a huge fan of. You can’t go wrong with they grayscale tortoiseshell but what I was especially drawn to was the shape. Like I said, I want different and this connected bridge was something I have never seen before. As soon as this pair was on, they were off immediately because they were instant winners. Now, here’s to hoping that these two pairs never break because I am obsessed!

I made great use of my holiday gift cards to TJMaxx this year and my new sunnies were the perfect treat to spend the remainder on. You can’t beat two beloved brands for twenty bucks!

Do you buy new sunglasses often? What is your favorite style of sunnies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb10

Completed Lego Malfoy Manor Set

Posted on February 10, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My brother treated Johnny and me to a Target gift card for Christmas and we both knew what we would like to spend it on: A new Lego set! During our Target Run, we decided on the Malfoy Manor from the Harry Potter collection. I had no idea that this set even existed and we were really excited by it because it spoke to our spooky vibes. In fact, this is probably one of my favorite Harry Potter sets yet. We completed this build in two parts and here is the end result:

^^^ Why does the Dobby Minifig look so terrifying but this one looks so cute?!

Johnny and I have countless Harry Potter Lego sets and they are great. As we expanded on our Hogwarts Castle, however, all of the sets kind of blurred together. Yes, they formed a cohesive whole. BUT each set was so similar to the last. The color palette was the same, the building process was the same, and themes were repeated. That is exactly why the Malfoy Manor was one of my favorite and most memorable builds. It was so completely different than the Harry Potter sets we were used to and it was invigorating to try something that felt brand new.

The Malfoy Manor set was not only exciting to complete but a ton of fun and we were enamored as it began to come together. The dark colors, gothic style build, and snakes at every turn enhanced the creepy aesthetic of this set beautifully. I am especially partial to the gargoyles, moving stairs, and the NPU of the monster hands. They look so cool!! Our Malfoy Manor really does look old and haunted and it reminded us of an old and wildly expensive Lego haunted house set that we both want desperately. Although we may never get our hands on the throwback set we covet, this was definitely a suitable replacement! I highly, highly recommend it if you are looking to add to your Harry Potter Lego world.

I’m not sure which Lego set Johnny and I are going to purchase next. Whatever it is, I can’t wait because building Lego together is one of our favorite things to do! ❤

What is your favorite Lego set? Which old Lego set would you love to have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Malfoy Manor Lego Build Pt. 1

Posted on January 16, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday, Johnny and I made a Target Run to spend a Christmas gift card. As soon as we received it, I know for a fact that we both mentally thought that we could buy a new Lego set with it. So we did! The pickings were slim, but that was okay because we ended up with one that we are both very happy with: Malfoy Manor from the Harry Potter collection. Once we returned home with our purchase, we got to work and spent the evening getting our Lego Masters on. We completed half of the set and it looks fantastic so far! Check it out:

Although there were quite a few Lego sets that caught our eye, Malfoy Manor definitely spoke to us the most. Even on the box, it just looked spooky and you know we are both all about that! I admit, it is always slightly overwhelming to start a new Lego set because it feels like there is SO much to do. But, as soon as we ripped the first bag open, we were in the zone and laying down bricks like a fine tuned machine. This is what I love about Lego because, for me, it goes from “how are we going to do this?” to not being able to build fast enough!

As it has been a while since Johnny and I built Lego together, the beginning of this build was already an especially fun one. Then, we really started getting going and found so much delight in all of the neat surprises. We loved the gargoyles, birds, toilet (lol), and copious amounts of snakes. It would not be the Malfoy Manor without them! You might notice that there are tons of NPUs (Nice Parts Usage) scattered throughout the build and it’s such a cool thing to see how these seemingly random pieces take form. We really do revel in it.

We spent a good two hours on the first portion of Malfoy Manor and it couldn’t have ended on a better note (As seen in the very last picture). When we began building the Dark Mark imprinted on the ground, we had no idea what it was going to be. We both assumed it was going to be a snake themed pattern and weren’t thinking about the Dark Mark at all. You could only imagine our surprise when it finally took shape and our minds were blown. Lego is truly just amazing like that and it makes each and every build an absolute joy.

I am so eager to finish our Malfoy Manor build this weekend so I can show all of you the end result. I can’t wait to see what other surprises this set holds!

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

Jan14

New Malfoy Manor Lego Set

Posted on January 14, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! Johnny and I received a very generous gift card to Target from my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas. We couldn’t wait to hit the store and cash it in because we knew exactly what we wanted: a new Lego set! This past Friday, we made our Target Run and, unfortunately, it was slim pickings in the Lego department. Understandably so after the holiday rush. We considered three different sets from the limited options – the Durmstrang Ship, Hogwarts Express, and Malfoy Manor. Each one had their pros and cons but we went with what originally really caught our eye and that was the manor. Check it out:

The last time Johnny and I built Lego together, it wasn’t exactly together lol. For my Christmas gift, Johnny got me the Lego Dobby set and I completed it *almost* all by myself. While it was cool to achieve a milestone like an independent build, my favorite is still when Johnny and I work side by side. That’s actually exactly why I wanted to get the Malfoy Manor set. It had the most potential for us to pick back up on our normal building routine with me handling the big pieces and Johnny taking care of the detail work. Those tiny bricks are a total pain with my talons!

As soon as we got home after making our purchase, we proceeded to be kids on Christmas Day. We zipped to the game room, set up our folding card table, and got to work. Johnny and I spent a fantastic two or so hours building, listening to music, and chatting away. We made it about halfway through the set before we called it quits for the day and I was glad for it so we could build more this weekend. Breaking up the build also gives us the time to truly appreciate it. There are SO many unique things about this set and we were astounded by some of the outcomes. I can’t wait for all of you to see it!

Stay tuned for the Part One breakdown of our Malfoy Manor build. They may be villainous but I guess it can be good to be bad because this is, easily, one of my favorites from the Harry Potter collection!!

Did you get any Christmas gift cards? Have you spent them yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul14

New Rachel Zoe Handkerchief Top

Posted on July 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I had a lovely outing with myself during my break on Tuesday doing some shopping at TJMaxx with a birthday gift card. It was definitely hard going back to work after some time off so it was the perfect little treat! During this shopping trip, I lucked out with two new clearance finds that I am loving. You saw the fabulous sweater dress yesterday and, today, we are going to be looking at an adorable little number by Rachel Zoe. It features all of my favorite things – A chartreuse color, fun bling, and a handkerchief cut which is one of my go tos. This top was thirteen dollars and is a small price to pay for a top that truly screams summer in all of its citrusy glory. Check it out:

Unless I am shopping for something very specific, I let the garments do the talking at TJMaxx. When I am browsing, I am looking simply for what catches my eye. It could be a quirky pattern or color or an interesting cut or material, my only requirement is that it makes me do a double take. As I perused the clearance racks, I noticed something sparkly and realized that the bright orange and yellow gemstones were the “sleeves” to a top. I was instantly intrigued and was even more so when I saw what the bling was holding up – a little chartreuse masterpiece. AND the only one in store, thank you very much. 😀

Literally just looking at this top made me happy because it is the answer to the question “what if sunshine was a shirt?” It is bright, poppy, and as if lemon lime soda became a handkerchief top. I have quite a few different options of this style in my wardrobe, but none quite like this. And, yes, it is all because of the gem spaghetti straps! It adds such a playful touch to a more revealing top and, in my opinion, makes it sweet rather than too sexy. The sheen of the fabric against the bling bling is a dazzling display and I feel SO lucky to have found it. I cannot wait to wear it ASAP with jean shorts or a sassy black and white bodycon skirt (Chunky platforms are a given!)!

Although I am by no means a fan of summer, this new top might help the cause a bit. I don’t think anyone, myself included, could wear it and not want to have some fun in the sun!

What catches your eye when you’re shopping? What is your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

New Heartloom Sweater Dress

Posted on July 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! For my thirtieth birthday, my parents gave me the most perfect prezzie – a TJMaxx gift card! It has been burning a hole in my pocket since and I finally got the chance to spend it during a low key afternoon this past week. While I love to shop at TJs at the turn of each season, I also love to shop during the in between too. Who am I kidding? I love to shop there all of the time! But, during this interim period of “still summer but not quite back to school” is when they bring out the more unique pieces that might not have sold well before. You can really find some clearance treasures during these non-peak shopping times and I definitely did! I am obsessed with this new sweater dress by Heartloom that I got marked down for twenty dollars. I can’t wait to wear it to the next Misnyland picnic I’ll be working! Check it out:

During mine and Johnny’s Fourth of July staycation, we had a Date Day and went vintage shopping and antiquing. I walked away with some fabulous new accessories, but no clothes. However, the clothes we saw deeply inspired me and I still find myself thinking about some of the amazing pieces a week later! As I browsed the “anything goes” clearance section, I literally clutched my pearls when I stumbled upon this sweater dress by Heartloom. It was the only one in store, happened to be in my size, and looked like it was straight out of a 1970s fashion magazine. I was totally and completely sold and I hadn’t even tried it on yet.

I simply adore this dress because it is just so different and retro. It turned a classic sweater dress on its head with the short sleeves, huge buttons, and funky raised pattern. And can we please talk about how the color palette looks like every kitchen appliance from the 70s?! SO fun. As soon as this dress was on, it was a certified winner and I was delighted to find something new to wear to the upcoming picnic event. I plan on sporting this dress with a gorgeous pair of pebble grey knee high boots and some statement earrings for a modern take on vintage staples. Crossing an OOTD off my to do list: Check. 😀

A TJMaxx gift card is the way to my heart and all I have to say is – thanks for the new dress mom and dad! You’re the best! ❤

When is your favorite time of the year to shop? What era of fashion inspires you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Fetch Review

Posted on April 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Way back to last October, I went out to dinner with my bestie at our favorite Mexican restaurant. As we were paying our bill, I noticed she was snapping a picture of her receipt and learned that it was for an app called Fetch. She explained that all you had to do was take pictures of your receipts and you would earn points towards gift cards. So, I signed up, we both got points for her referral, and I was ready to take the Fetch app by storm!

When I first started using the app, I thought it was great! It was exciting to see the points climb with each receipt scanned and you would get a bonus scanning one receipt per day. With your receipt, you could spin a wheel for additional points and that really helped speed up the process. Another thing that made a difference in my point count was occasionally scanning receipts that I unknowingly purchased “featured deals” with. This would normally happen during big grocery shopping trips – one time I got twelve hundred points from one receipt. 😀

Despite constantly increasing my points with almost daily receipts and “spin to win” bonus points, it still felt like I had a long way to go. A ten dollar Amazon gift card alone costed twelve thousand five hundred points! Then, Fetch eliminated the bonus points and my account began moving at a snail’s pace. It took me from the beginning of October to the end of March to get my ten dollar Amazon gift card and it felt like a drop in the bucket for using the app almost daily for over a half a year.

As I have continued using the app, I find myself wondering why I even bother and am probably going to delete it soon. These receipt scan apps are, honestly, more trouble than they’re even worth. If you are consistently referring friends and shopping deals on Fetch, I’m sure it can be a somewhat lucrative tool. However, if you’re like me who has no friends and never shops any of the deals, you are in for a slow going process. Am I happy to have an extra ten bucks on Amazon? Sure. Was it worth saving and scanning receipts for such a long period of time? Meh… Not really.

If you are thinking the receipt scan apps will have you cashing out immediately, it is not like that whatsoever. They sound awesome until you realize how much effort goes into getting one gift card!

Have you used any receipt scanning apps before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on January 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I received SO many TJMaxx gift cards from my holiday haul and they have been burning a hole in my pocket! This past Tuesday, I had a fairly free afternoon so I decided to stop in TJs to look around. Due to the awkward time of the year, their clothing selection was abysmal. It was essentially all clearance items to clear the racks before the arrival of spring clothing and it left a whole lot to be desired. While the clearance clothes sucked, the Christmas clearance toys were awesome and I was able to buy all of my niece’s presents for her birthday in March. I also had some luck in the skin care department:

^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

The Haul:

Clinical Works Soothing Body Lotion
New Balance socks
Evoluderm Micellar Water
Bellyssima Vitamin C moisturizer
Clear Beauty moisturizer
Tree Of Life Vitamin C serum
Provence Beauty eye cream

Whenever I have gift cards from TJMaxx, my first order of business is always to restock skin care because they are products that I will need to buy anyways. I actually just had a fairly recent skin care haul from TJs but that’s okay as I like to have a lot of items on back stock! I decided to buy the products that would set me up for another few months of my skin care routine and I am excited to try some new brands. While I have used Provence Beauty before, I have never used Clear Beauty or Bellyssima. I have only used products with collagen in it a handful of times so I’m a bit nervous that the Clear Beauty moisturizer might dry me out. However, at nearly thirty years old, the risk will be worth the reward to turn back the clock on my skin!

Of course, I had to buy my Evoluderm micellar water because it is a staple for my beauty routine. I was also surprised to see the Vitamin C serum by Tree Of Life on the shelves. There was a point when I was using Tree Of Life serums exclusively and I added it to my cart for some familiarity with so many new to me products. My final beauty purchase was a big bottle of lavender and chamomile scented lotion by Clinical Works. Although I love my Bath & Body Works lotions, it will be nice to have an option that will last longer and the calming scent will be perfect before bed.

Finally, I really needed new socks lol. I swear, every single pair I have has acquired a hole within the past few months and it is so annoying to walk around with that issue all day! To wrap up my haul, I got a New Balance multi-pack and I felt like such an adult. If you catch me out here feeling myself from now on, it’s because I’m strutting my stuff in hole free socks! 😀

What is your favorite skin care brand? What are must have ingredients in your skin care products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Chewy Haul

Posted on January 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! For Christmas, Johnny’s aunt gifted Mel and Penelope with a Chewy gift card for all of their supplies. It was so thoughtful! With the gift card, I was able to stock up on all of their necessities as well as some new toys and old favorites. As per usual, though, the bunnies are much more interested in playing with the Chewy boxes than anything else lol. Check out what these spoiled pets got as a late Christmas gift:

The Chewy gift card was, honestly, one of the best gifts of my holiday haul because all of the products seen above were things that were going to need to be bought anyways. While I did spend a little of my own money, the gift card covered almost everything and most of these purchases will last us until March, at least. If that seems quick to you, remember that two bunnies means double everything! Also their favorite activity is to dump their food dish out which is equal parts adorable and annoying lol.

The most important purchases from this haul were definitely their pellet food and bedding. The past four times I have placed an order with Chewy, their food has been unavailable. Then, once my order has been placed, I get an email saying their pellet food is back in stock *eye roll*. Since their food was available during this order, I decided to go big and get three bags to avoid this in the future. I also decided to get two bags of their bedding since I also use it to fill their litter boxes. The bunny litter that I was using was pricey AF and even if I have to change their litter bedding more often, it is still less expensive in the long run.

One final essential from this order was their Timothy hay and then it was onto the toys! The Kaytee Play n’ Chew hideout is one of their favorites and they love to destroy it. Thankfully, it takes them a while to do so and since they are still working on the one they have, this will serve as a backup. The Rosewood play and chew balls are also a Mel and Penelope fave and they can chew through the rope and thin wood ones in a matter of minutes. I also wanted to give them some new options like the Timothy hay lollipops and the hourglass and piece of cake chew toys. The hourglass has been hit or miss so far but they made quick work of one of the lollipops. 😀

Mel and Pen were cool with their mom spending their gift card for them and as far as I know, they are happy with what I picked out! And I am too. 😀

Where do you get your pet supplies from? What is your pet’s favorite toy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	lifewithlilred on Spirit Christmas Haul
	oliveunicorn on Spirit Christmas Haul
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	lifewithlilred on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers