Tag Archives: gifts

May18

Happy Housewarming Gift

Posted on May 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello! My bestie, Lea, came by a couple of weeks ago to check out mine and Johnny’s new place. Even though it isn’t perfect yet, I was so excited for her to see it. I was also excited that Johnny would have his own room to hang out in where he could shut the door so we wouldn’t have to listen to his war documentaries lol. Oh, the perks of our new place!

Lea was so sweet and brought by a little housewarming gift and, I admit, I didn’t really know what to do with it at first:

Lea got us a Turtle Vine for the new place and I have never owned a house plant before! In my old apartment, there wasn’t really a good place to put plants so I just never bothered. The great news, is that I haven’t killed my little Turtle Vine yet… In fact, it’s thriving! When Lea brought it over, the vines didn’t have any length to them at all and I can’t believe how much it has grown in a few short weeks.

My dad is the one with the green thumb in our family and I almost contemplated just having him care for it. But, I think I am doing alright! I love this plant’s soft leaves and the pot that it lives in is so pretty. Whenever Lea comes by, all she needs to do is bring herself and I’m happy so I was tickled by her thoughtfulness. I don’t think I’ll turn into a full on plant mom any time soon but, now, I wouldn’t be opposed to my Turtle Vine having a friend or two. 😀

The best housewarming gift that Johnny and I have is actually being able to host friends comfortably in our bigger apartment. However, this sweet prezzie from my best friend is a very close second! ❤

Do you have a green thumb? How many house plants do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May4

Best Chocolate EVER!!

Posted on May 4, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Whenever Johnny’s amazing Aunt Elaine comes to visit from Boston, she always comes with delicious treats from Phillips Chocolates in tow. For Easter, Johnny and I returned home with a huge haul of chocolates from Aunt Elaine and I just had to share them with all of you. Of course, the chocolate tastes divine but they are so pretty I almost didn’t even want to eat them! Lol, check it out:

My Johnny has a huge sweet tooth. Myself, on the other hand, prefers more savory and I always would rather have more dinner than save room for dessert. All bets are off when it comes to Phillips Chocolate, though, and I seriously think that I could eat an entire box full. They are the most decadent, rich chocolates that I have ever had and, now that our supply is gone, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I miss them. 😦

The box of truffles we got literally made me gasp when I took off the lid. They were so beautiful and before Johnny and I took a piece, I had to take pictures of them. I apologized to Johnny for momentarily standing in the way between him and chocolatey bliss but he told me he would have done the exact same thing. Is he the best blog husband, or what?

The truffles were all chocolate filled and they were melt in your mouth heavenly. My favorite thing from Phillips, however, is the assorted box which features chocolate turtles, caramels, nougat, fruit, nuts, and all of the chocolatey goodness you can imagine. Johnny and I worked our way through our favorites in the box then, when they were gone, we started telling each other to “surprise me”. As long as it wasn’t a fruit one, we were fine with whatever!

If you are looking for a gift for a special occasion, as a thank you, or just because, I can’t recommend Phillips Chocolates enough. Just be sure to order a couple of boxes for yourself too! 😀

What is your favorite sweet treat? Do you prefer sweet or savory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar18

Hand Cream Battle

Posted on March 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! Most people carry a small tube of hand cream on their person to apply as needed when on the go. Myself, on the other hand, can’t stand using lotion during the day because of its texture and only use it before bedtime. In my beauty stock pile, I noticed that I had quite the selection of hand creams and began the process of using them up in late February.

Today, we are going to put them to the test for the best purse, pocket, or car worthy hand cream to help beat dry skin when on the move. Let’s get to it:

1st Place: eos Shea Better hand cream in Pomegranate Raspberry
2nd place: Renew Intensive Skin Therapy
3rd Place: Bath & Body Works Vanilla Butter Cream hand cream

eos: I freaking loved this hand cream and consider the Shea Better by eos to be the full package when it comes to combating dry hands. First of all, the scent was absolutely delightful. It smelled fruity without being too sweet and was so nice and light. The eos hand cream absorbed quickly and didn’t feel greasy in the slightest. I also noticed the biggest difference in how my hands looked and felt after using it.

When my hands get dry, it’s not so much the texture of them as much as the redness that bothers me. The eos hand cream made my hands incredibly soft to the touch and it also eliminated the redness after just one use. It took me about six uses to complete the tube.

Renew: The Renew Intensive Skin Therapy hand cream was pretty good. It wasn’t as effective as the eos cream but worked better than the Bath & Body Works one, putting it smack dab in the middle. This hand cream had little to no scent, which is fine by me. I would rather a product be scentless than have a fragrance that I can’t stand! It was the lightest in texture out of the three hand creams and absorbed quickly. I liked how soft it made my hands but it did little to no help for the redness. I finished this small tube after four uses.

B&BW: I received the Bath & Body Works Vanilla Butter Cream hand cream as a freebie and I loved the way it smelled when I picked it out. It was rich, creamy, and, of course, I love all things vanilla. However, it was a totally different story after using the cream because it was really pungent once on the skin. When it comes to lotion, I don’t really mind what it smells like because I only wear it at nighttime. I couldn’t picture using this one during the day, though, because it was so overpowering.

In terms on how well it worked, I was unimpressed by this hand cream – especially considering it’s close to eight dollars for one travel size tube. The B&BW hand cream felt the greasiest and didn’t absorb nearly as well as the other two. My skin did feel somewhat smoother after using it but nowhere near how the eos and Renew left my hands feeling. It took me about five uses to finish this hand cream and I wouldn’t go out of my way to use it again unless I got it as a freebie.

Out of these three hand creams, the eos Shea Better is the perfect one to have on the go. If I did use lotion throughout the day, I would happily purchase it for myself and am admiring its excellent results at this very moment!

Which beauty products do you keep on your person for on the go use? Do you prefer scented or unscented lotion? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan25

Bouquet Beauty

Posted on January 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My dad is an excellent gardener and for as long as I can remember, there is always a wildflower bouquet on the kitchen table for my mom in the summertime. It’s pretty much the sweetest thing ever and his flower arrangements are beautiful every time. My grandma also had a green thumb so, between her and my dad, the majesty of flowers is something that I have enjoyed from a young age.

I love receiving flowers as gifts and I even still have the dried roses from mine and Johnny’s “one week anniversary” of dating and an arrangement from a Valentine’s Day together. In my opinion, dried flowers are just as pretty as fresh ones and I have endless bowls on my knick knack shelf filled with dried petals.

A couple of weeks ago, Johnny’s mom surprised me with a lovely Christmas bouquet. While it looks like it has seen better days now, I still love it just the same:

Flowers are such an amazing any time gift and they are always special to receive. It shows such thoughtfulness on behalf of the bouquet giver and I was so appreciative to Johnny’s mom for this gift. Although I am constantly cleaning off dried petals from the floor, I just can’t part with the arrangement. It also makes a fine centerpiece on my coffee table with my other vases of dried flowers. Plus, how pretty are those Lil Red blooms?! 😀

Dried or fresh, flowers are the best and I smile every time I look at mine. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! ❤

What is your favorite flower? Who else has a green thumb? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan13

Happy Haulidays: Sister & Family Edition

Posted on January 13, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Happy Haulidays: Sister & Family Edition

Hello! To celebrate Christmas part two, my entire family went to Oglebay in Wheeling, West Virginia all together. It was such a wonderful long weekend filled with good company, good food, and all of the holiday cheer. To kick start our festivities, we began with a gift exchange for all of the presents that hadn’t been opened yet. My sister, her boyfriend, and my sweet niece gifted me with the following:

I was so happy to give everyone their presents and receiving some for me was the cherry on top. I am very excited to test out my new makeup from Nars and Anastasia Beverly Hills because I have never used anything by either brand before. Be sure to keep it posted on lifewithlilred for some swatch posts soon!

Not only did I get some new makeup but I also was gifted with some pretty copper mugs to make Moscow Mules with – my favorite. As always, the Chipotle gift card will serve me well because that is also one of my favorites. It isn’t quite Taco Bell but it still holds a special place in my heart. ❤

The crowning jewel of my gifts from my sis and her family is definitely the handmade mustard yellow beanie from Discounted Dreams. It is a small business run by one of our friends who is pretty incredible with some needles and yarn. I have already worn my gift several times and it is nice and warm – not to mention one of my favorite colors too!

My long weekend with my whole family was the best gift in the entire world but I sure love my presents from my big sis. Keep tuning into lifewithlilred for more about Oglebay, a brand new OOTD, makeup swatches, and haulidays!

How did your family celebrate the holiday season? Have you ever been to Oglebay before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan11

Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

Posted on January 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Wednesday, my best friend of fourteen years, Lea, and I had our holiday gift exchange. It may have been a bit late but it still felt like Christmas magic to me. As soon as she walked in the door, we immediately began opening presents and spent the evening girl talking away. I am so in love with what my best girl gifted me with and my new flower pressed coasters she got me from Etsy already have a very special place on my coffee table:

Lea and I both know the value of receiving bath and body care during gift exchanges so I was very excited for some eos brand goodies to add to my beauty hoard. I have only ever used their lip balms before, which are fabulous, so I can’t wait to test out the lotion and hand cream. Eos is a brand that I have always been interested in, but would never buy for myself so it was a perfect present.

Of course, the piece de resistance were the handmade coasters that she purchased off of Etsy. We both share an affinity for shopping on Etsy and my gifts from her were actually ordered on there too. I have never owned coasters before so it definitely felt like moving up in the adult world. And, what an amazing place to start because they are beautiful! 😀

For over fourteen years, Lea and I have participated in gift exchanges and it will never get old. It is so special to share holidays and birthdays with her and, oh yeah, half of our lives too. She is the best friend a gal could ask for and I love her so much! ❤

How do you celebrate holidays with your bestie? Do you have a favorite Etsy shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan3

6 DIY Gift Ideas Your Mom Will Love

Posted on January 3, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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When it comes to our moms, sometimes the DIY route is the best way to go for gift giving occassions. It’s unique, personalized, and allows your gift to stand out from the rest. There’s nothing like a homemade present to show how much you care. From making her favorite dessert (or breakfast) to painting an old frame with some new family photos, these DIY gift ideas will have any mother feeling loved:

Make a personalized gift with her favorite things:

The best gift you can give your mom is a personalized present tailored just for her. Make sure to include all of her favorite things. This could be anything from accessories, food, or clothes and it will make the perfect way of showing how much she means to you.

Cozy Accessories:

DIY clothing is an excellent gift this winter season. Whether it’s something as simple as a blanket scarf or going all out with some matching gloves for extra warmth, she will appreciate the effort that went into making these handcrafted gifts. You can also gift her with patterned wrap dresses since they’re practical and stylish enough that she can wear them for casual events or vacation trips.

DIY a flower arrangement:

Motherhood has always been synonymous with springtime and flowers as they both represent life and fertility. Flowers also represent beauty and grace, things we associate with our own mothers. Here are some simple tips on how you can easily arrange flowers for your mom:

The flowers should be fresh and fragrant with colors that represent your mom and coordinate well with her house. Choose what type of container size works best: vases, bowls, or pots and fill them accordingly so they don’t overflow when watering them. Use either potting soil/manure mix which is rich in nutrients because these types can hold more moisture than just sand. And, don’t forget to pair them with her favorite chocolates!

Create a photo collage:

Moms have a special place in their hearts for memories they’ve made with the family over the years. Creating a photo collage is an excellent way to make sure that she knows how much she means to you. She will surely love this gift. Buy a photo album or make one yourself and choose photos that would make her recall all of the happy times you’ve spent together.

Make a scrapbook:

Scrapbooking is a great hobby and makes a thoughtful gift, too. Write down some of your favorite memories together and create something that will last forever, turning it into a keepsake for both you and even for future generations of your family.

Homemade cookies, brownies, or other sweets:

If you’re looking for the perfect gift, look no further than these delicious treats. Cookies and other sweet treats are excellent gifts for your mom if she has a sweet tooth. For starters, try this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Â½ cup white sugar
Â¾ cups dark brown sugar
1 tsp salt
Â½ cup coconut oil (refined, melted)
Â¼ cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Â½ cups flour
Â½ tsp baking soda
4 oz vegan chocolate chunks or chips
4 oz vegan dark chocolate

Instructions:

Whisk together the sugars, salt, and coconut oil in a large bowl
Pour in the non-dairy milk and vanilla, and whisk until the batter is smooth and all sugar has dissolved
Sift in the baking soda and the flour
Mix with a spatula
Pour in the chocolate chunks
Put the dough in the freezer for at least 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 180C or 350F
Scoop the dough into cookie bits using a spoon or ice cream scoop and put it onto a baking sheet until golden brown.

There are so many ways to DIY a present for mom that she’ll love, but the best ones will be personal and from the heart like the ideas above!

Jan3

Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Posted on January 3, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Hello! Due to the high rates of COVID in Ohio, Johnny and I have had to have late Christmas celebrations with our families. This is why you haven’t seen any OOTDs or Hauliday posts recently but keep your eyes peeled because they are still going to happen! This past week, we celebrated with Johnny’s family and one of his aunts who is just wonderful and it was such a great time.

Living during a pandemic is insanely difficult but especially during the holidays as Johnny and I want to protect our vulnerable populations as much as we can. We haven’t seen his family as much as we would like so it was so nice to be able to share a meal, catch up, and open presents. Johnny’s family so generously gifted me with the following:

Hanging out with Johnny’s family after so much time apart was the best gift of all, of course, but I am so appreciative of everything that they treated us to. I love my cobweb earrings the best of all and I am tickled by the gift from Johnny’s dad of the flashlight/screw driver/whistle/everything else lol. It is such a dad gift and I am obsessed – even if I don’t quite know how to use it. 😀

I am also very touched by the ornament from his mom made for caregivers, although we all had a laugh about how we couldn’t read the sweet sentiments that were on it. Johnny and I have been diligently working through our holiday chocolate – my favorite being the chocolate covered chips. I have never tried one before and it is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I could seriously eat twenty bags of them!

The piece de resistance of our holiday haul had to be the new air fryer for the both of us. We meant to buy a new one after we got married as ours was on the fritz but we just never got around to it. It finally went kaput a few months ago so we were thrilled with the new appliance. We have been air frying literally everything and have missed it so much. The novelty of air fried food never wears off. 🙂

Although we didn’t keep up with our Miller family tradition of watching Christmas Vacation together, it was still an amazing celebration. I am so thankful to have two beautiful families to join in the holidays with and have my fingers crossed that we can celebrate next Christmas on time altogether! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays this year? What is your favorite gift in your holiday haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec7

Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

Posted on December 7, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi!! When lifewithlilred was in its early years, I developed a friendship with a fellow blogger and fashion enthusiast named Kate of Live In The Nautical. What started as comments on each others blogs turned to Facebook friendship, texting, video chats, and a trip to New York City to visit her! For years, Kate has been one of my absolute best friends and I am so thankful to the blogosphere for bringing us together. ❤

From a love of Harry Potter and figure skating to celebrities we can’t stand, Kate and I can talk for hours on end about everything and nothing and I always look forward to our FaceTime dates. We also both love gift shopping for birthdays and Christmas so the holiday season and our close together June birthdays are a very exciting time for us!

This past week, Kate and I exchanged super early Christmas gifts in the mail and it was such fun. Despite the fact that her package used SO. Much. Tape. that I compared it to trying to break into a jail when attempting to open it! Lol take a look at these darling prezzies from my darling bestie:

Both Kate and I can concur that our friendship is the best gift of all but the gifts above are a nice touch! I am obsessed with the Espresso Patronum mug a la Harry Potter and plan on drinking all of the coffee spiked with Baileys in it… Or maybe just Baileys! And, of course, I can’t wait to test out the bath bombs from Lush because Kate knows that they are my favorite. ❤

Every day I am so grateful for Kate but times of celebration like the holidays make me realize how lucky I am to have her in my life even more. I can go to her for anything, judgement free, and I know that she will listen, offer sound advice, and make me laugh like no other. I love the self who I am when we are together (albeit through a computer screen) and she is one of the best things that came out of starting my blog in the first place.

The blogosphere is such an amazing way for people to come together and near or far, I have made a best friend for life. Kate, I love you so much and thank you for everything you do for me. Now, everyone go check out her page!

Have you met any best friends through your blog? What is your favorite thing about blogging? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov29

Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted on November 29, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! We are going full speed towards gift giving holidays so I thought that it would be the perfect time to share some gift ideas for all of those last minute shoppers out there. I have been done with my shopping since October and just the thought of completing shopping now gives me anxiety! On the contrary, though, I have been SO procrastinating on wrapping all of them lol. Whether you want to find unique gifts for phlebotomists or you want something more general, this list is going to give you the inspiration you need. Let’s get to it:

Baking Kits:

King Arthur Flour has an amazing gift selection filled with baking kits and gear. Even if you aren’t so handy in the kitchen, the kits make it easy to bake a delicious dessert and it’s also a fun activity to do if your giftee has little ones. This year, I purchased a hot chocolate kit for the families of my clients that included two mugs too. It was so reasonably priced and I think that they are going to love it!

Relaxation Station:

If you have a giftee who could benefit from some extra chill time, how about a relaxation kit filled with candles, aromatherapy oils, and bubble bath. You could even take it one step further and gift them with a gift card or membership to a yoga studio. These past two years have been so difficult for everyone and relaxing themed presents will also gift the person you’re buying for with some much needed “me time”.

Sports Fan:

If you have a sports fan on your shopping list, then you have a plethora of options to choose from. Customized gear of their favorite team will be much appreciated or you could get them a puzzle or model of their favorite stadium. You could even take them to try their hand on the links with a golfing instructor. If they are not the athletic type, sports games at an arcade bar will do just fine. As always, tickets to a big game will always go over well!

Travel Lovers:

Those who love to travel will surely enjoy guides to the next place they’d like to go to. You could get them all kinds of travel sized products, a subscription to Audible for those long plane rides, and a neck pillow or blanket. Then, put it all in a customized carry on. The ultimate gift for the wanderlusters on your list.

A Piece Of The Beach:

For many, the beach is their happy place. If you know someone who daydreams of the ocean on a dreary day, then bring the beach to them. There are many Etsy shops that put sand from a favorite beach into a locket style necklace for a beautiful and timeless gift. In fact, I bought something like that for one of my besties and she absolutely loved it!

If jewelry isn’t your giftees thing, then fear not. You could go with beach themed decor, a stack of books to tackle on their next ocean side vacation, or a noise machine so the sound of crashing waves can soothe them. Bringing a touch of the beach into freezing December has never been easier.

Subscription Services:

There are so many awesome subscription services out there, which are truly the gift that keeps on giving. You could sign your giftee up for Netflix, Spotify, Audible, or Amazon Prime for easy access to entertainment. There are also monthly gift boxes like Sephora Play! for makeup gurus, BirchBox for pampering, or Hello Fresh for those who can’t stand cooking. It will be like the holidays all over again when their monthly box arrives in the mail!

If you are stumped for gift ideas, then hopefully the ones listed above will help steer you in the right direction. If you guys finish your shopping, then I guess I can finish my gift wrapping! 😀

Are you an early or late holiday shopper? What is your favorite type of gift to receive? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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