Tag Archives: gifts

Some Wedding Prezzies

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Some Wedding Prezzies

Hello!! Johnny and I have been simply blown away by the generosity of our friends and family for our nuptials and are so thankful to all of them! I do have a couple of ultimate presents that I just had to share on lifewithlilred from two of the people who know me best – my older sister, Kristen, and my BFF, Lea. Both Lea and Kristen gifted me with the most thoughtful prezzies I think I have ever received and will forever be cherished by me. Take a look at some wedding and present pics and let’s discuss:

It is no secret that one of my all time favorite TV shows is My 600 Lb. Life and Doctor Nowzaradan is my hero and best friend in my head. I have literally been obsessed with that show since the very beginning and enjoy seeing the success of the patients. My sister, Kristen, knows this better than anyone and I was in complete stitches when I opened the Dr. Now key chain from her. Not only is the sentiment touching but it’s absolutely hilarious too and I am thrilled to get to see it every day on my car keys when I go to work. 😀

Another gift that really moved me was from my bestie of thirteen plus years, Lea. For my wedding/birthday gift, Lea got me a customized hanger for my wedding dress and I almost cried when I opened it! I didn’t even know that something like what she got me existed and am tickled to have the perfect hanger that I didn’t know I needed for my perfect dress. She also knew that nothing is complete without a touch of red from the ribbon!

I am so thankful to have been able to spend my wedding day with both of my ride or dies and those memories as well as my presents will always be treasured. ❤

What is your favorite TV show? Have you ever received a customized gift? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Wedding To Us!

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Happy Wedding To Us!

Hello!!! My wedding weekend was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful to my family and friends for making it so special. Something that I really enjoyed were my trips to the Shear Shop the day before and of my wedding to get my hair looking right by my wonderful stylist, Anna. It was SO nice to spend an entire afternoon hanging out with her while she redid my color and to have her work her magic for my wedding day.

Anna has been doing my hair for nineteen years and is such a dear friend to me. In fact, as soon as I leave the salon I am already itching to go back! She is truly a master of her craft and I wouldn’t want anyone but her doing my hair for my big day. Being in Anna’s company was the most beautiful gift of all but I am completely in love with her wedding gift to me and Johnny. Check it out:

^^^ How cool is that?!

Johnny and I are your basic mid twenties and thirty something emo couple and Anna’s gift speaks to us on a spiritual level. We live for all black everything, the dark, and slightly macabre so our skeleton trinket box was perfect for us. She really does know me so well! I plan on putting the hair charms that she used for my wedding do in it first and foremost. ❤

Tune in tomorrow for more on my wedding!!

Do you have a trinket box? What do you keep in it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Early Birthday To Me!

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Happy Early Birthday To Me!

Hi! If you know Lil Red, then you will know that I simply cannot wait to give people their presents for gift giving occasions. My fiance, Johnny, on the other hand prefers to open gifts until the day of the birthday or holiday or at least get fairly close. So, imagine my surprise when Johnny wanted to give me my birthday presents super early. Our birthdays are one week apart from each other in June and this was an excellent development for me because I had been dying to give him his gifts!

Earlier in May, Johnny gifted me with an amazing standing makeup holder for all of my bits and baubles. And, this past week, he gave me my main gift… the original Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64!

For our one year anniversary, Johnny got me Paper Mario: The Origami King for the Nintendo Switch and this past Valentine’s Day, he gifted me with Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the GameCube. Can you tell what one of my favorite video games is? To complete my collection, I needed the Paper Mario for the N64 and I also need the one for the Nintendo 3DS. With my early birthday prezzie, I am one step closer to having all of the Paper Mario games and I am eager to give my new (old) one a try as I have never played it.

Time and time again, I am blown away by Johnny’s thoughtfulness more than anything on gift giving occasions. Whenever we give each other presents, it always seems to be exactly what we both wanted. This shows me that we are actually listening to each other when we talk and that is the best gift of all. Johnny is such fun to shop for and he received some Legend Of Zelda Amiibos as well as a blazer from his favorite website, Phix, for his birthday. Nothing was better than seeing the look on his face when he opened them and I can’t wait for a lifetime of birthdays and holidays with him. ❤

What is your favorite video game? Who is your favorite person to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

3 Tips For Buying Gifts In A New Relationship

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3 Tips For Buying Gifts In A New Relationship

You’re in a new relationship and things are going well even though you haven’t been together for long. But then, disaster strikes. Their birthday or a holiday is coming up and you have no idea what to get them. You don’t know them that well yet and it’s tough to work out how much you spend or how romantic you should be with your gifts. Buying gifts in a new relationship is difficult and it can lead to some awkward situations if you miss the mark. But if you follow these rules, you should be able to find the perfect gift:

Talk About Gifts:

Communication is key in relationships, especially when things are new and you are still learning about each other. Before buying gifts for the first time, ask them about it so you can both set expectations. Do they like big gifts or are they happy with something small? Should you set a price limit on gifts? What kind of things do they normally like? Asking these questions means that everybody is on the same page and there are no awkward situations where one person spends way more than the other or you make a big fuss when they don’t like gifts.

Speaking of communication, really pay attention to your partner’s hobbies or when they mention something they would love. For example, if your significant other is an avid golfer, new gloves and golf balls would be very well received. Or maybe there is a movie coming out that they are dying to see? Gift a date night!

Don’t Go Too Romantic:

Some people have a tendency to go for over the top romantic gifts early on in relationships. They want to demonstrate to the person that they really like them and they are invested in the relationship. However, this isn’t always the best way to go because it can put a lot of pressure on that person. It might make them worry that things are moving too fast or that they are less invested than you. So, it’s best to avoid anything too romantic and over the top in the early stages. Look for funny t-shirts for sale rather than a big stuffed bear with a heart. Picking something like a funny t-shirt shows them that you understand their sense of humor and their interests, which demonstrates that you care without putting too much pressure on. Or, you can give a gift that taps into their favorite fandom, which shows that you really are listening to their likes and dislikes. A Game of Thrones fan would love a dark sister sword while a Harry Potter fan would be over the moon with their own wand – no over the top romance required!

Of course, you should never discount flowers as “too romantic” of a gift because everyone loves receiving them! These options for gift hamper delivery Melbourne (or something similar in your local area) are a great place to start for inspiration. Your significant other will receive gorgeous blooms as well as a candle, wine, or candies depending on what you choose. Gift baskets are an excellent gifting idea as they offer a little bit of everything for your partner to enjoy!

Don’t Leave It To The Last Minute:

When buying gifts in a new relationship, it’s important to show that you care and you put thought into your gift. If you come up with something at the last minute, that suggests that you are not invested in the relationship and are not putting effort in. If you do find yourself in a bind, this list of last minute gifts can help you find something good. However, you should try to avoid this situation and start thinking of gift ideas early. Pay attention to your partner and start listing things they are interested in or things that they talked about buying. Other than hobbies, it’s also a good idea to remember certain scents or flavors that your partner loves. A gift like bath and body care or fragrance gift sets could be very well received if you know just what they like! The whole process will be far less stressful if you start early and have plenty of ideas.

Buying gifts in a new relationship can be difficult and you might worry that you gifted the wrong thing. But if you follow these rules, you will be able to make the best choice!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

*Way* Early Birthday Gift!

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*Way* Early Birthday Gift!

Hello! When it comes to gift giving occasions, I always can’t wait to give my giftee their presents and am notorious for buying gifts way ahead of schedule. Johnny’s birthday gift, for example, was purchased four months before his actual birthday! I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t constantly asking people to give their gifts early and Johnny is, normally, pretty good about waiting till the day of the occasion. This past week, however, was a totally different story.

Unbeknownst to Johnny, I had arrived home before him after work and errands and was there when he walked in the door with a huge gift wrapped box. Because I had already seen my early birthday gift, he agreed that we could open presents a month and a half prior to our birthdays and I was gifted with the following:

For one of my early birthday gifts, Johnny got me a huge standing makeup holder for all of my must haves that are maybe always cluttering the bathroom! Not only will it be perfect for all of my lipsticks and glosses that I feel like I am misplacing constantly but it will also provide a safe space for my makeup brushes, eyeshadows, and highlighters which I have had to replace before from water damage.

This gift was so thoughtful because Johnny told me he remembered how much I liked it while he was browsing through additional storage options for our apartment. I had, honestly, forgotten about it and love my new makeup holder so much because it is something that I wouldn’t buy for myself. Rather, I’d probably end up buying more makeup lol!

If there’s one thing Lil Red loves, it’s organizing and I really enjoyed arranging my jewelry boxes and wall hangers just so for easy access to all of my favorite accessories. I expect that my makeup holder will be no different and am looking forward to setting it up to my liking. I also think I am going to end up finding tons of products that I forgot I even had so it will kind of be like shopping in my own apartment. 😀

After mine and Johnny’s super early gift exchange, we played video games and listened to records for hours and it was the best month and a half early birthday celebration ever! I can’t wait for more festivities with my fiance on our actual birthdays in June. ❤

How do you keep your makeup or accessories organized? How early do you like to shop for gift giving occasions? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pansy Party 2.0

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Pansy Party 2.0

Hi! A few weeks ago, I planted a pansy patch in the front yard of my parent’s house with my dad and it was a hoot. I felt so proud of our handy work after we completed our project and smile every time I see the pretty blooms. We are still waiting to begin planting vegetables but, in the meantime, my dad has begun decking out our garden space with his vast collection of solar lights and statues. This past week, he upgraded our pansy patch to a fairy garden and I love the results! Check out the 2.0 version:

Not only is the landscaping of my parent’s yard beautiful with its flowers, dogwood tree, and raised planters but it is also filled with outdoor decor that offers adorable surprises throughout. There are an abundance of strand solar lights wrapping around trees and bushes and in ground ones that display a nightly “light show” in the yard. Not to mention his insect hotels, bird baths and houses, pinwheels, wind chimes, and bird, hummingbird, and butterfly feeders that provide perfect bird watching opportunities and the music of nature.

I was so tickled when I saw the 2.0 upgrade of our pansy patch because almost all of the decorations he chose for it were gifted by me! The fairy garden motif also was special to me because my dad and I had recently enjoyed looking at the employee fairy garden contest together at one of his physical therapy appointments. Seeing the little colorful mushrooms poking out among the flowers, solar lights, and garden gnome Godzilla brought me back to the Christmases and Father’s Days that I gifted these decorations to him and it was so nice to see him still using them a few years later.

I can’t wait to garden more with my dad and am looking forward to seeing how he upgrades our next project! ❤

What is your favorite flower? What is your favorite kind of outdoor decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash Review

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The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash Review

Hi! When it comes to my beauty care hoard, I like to be well stocked at all times and am just now starting to work on using some of the products gifted to me for Christmas. My brother and his family gave me lots of products from The Body Shop so I could have at home spa treatments and I have been especially eager to try out the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash. It took me a while to get around to it because the last cleanser I used lasted me almost five months! This clay wash was definitely worth the wait, however, as I am freaking obsessed so let’s discuss:

I am a huge fan of products from The Body Shop and have never really been disappointed by anything from there so I already knew I was in for a treat with this cleanser. Their Purifying Himalayan Charcoal face mask is also one of the best that I have ever used. Needless to say, I was excited to try the cleanser out because I didn’t even know it existed and I also don’t get TBS products very often so I feel so pampered whenever I get the chance to use them.

Like the face mask from the Himalayan Charcoal line, the clay wash smells awesome. It’s really earthy but has a faint minty scent thanks to being made with tea tree oil and it is nice and invigorating to use every morning. I can’t say I have ever used a clay wash before so I didn’t know what to expect when I used it. I was actually a bit worried that it would have a clay mask texture, which would make using it as a face wash kind of difficult. But, while this clay wash is thicker in texture, it lathers and rinses so easily and my skin feels nourished and healthy after each use.

The best thing about the Himalayan Charcoal face mask was the fact that it completely eradicated my blackheads and the same goes for the clay wash. The charcoal works like a magnet to remove all of the gunk and my skin is left soft and glowing after my morning shower. A small amount of the clay wash also goes a long way and I would happily use it again. It has been a while since I have tried out a product that was brand new to me and I highly recommend the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Clay Wash!

What is a staple in your skin care routine? What is your favorite product from The Body Shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Gift Ideas For Warm Weather Birthdays

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Gift Ideas For Warm Weather Birthdays

Hi! In my family, there are eight spring and summer birthdays that I have to shop for so I am never lacking in gift ideas for warm weather birthdays. Shopping for birthdays that take place when the weather is nice is a great opportunity to purchase outdoor activity based gifts. Activity gifts always go over well but will be an even bigger hit this year since we are all itching to get outside and enjoy the weather. Let’s go over some of my favorite ideas:

Gardening Supplies/Outdoor Decor:

Spring and summer are, of course, the prime gardening times so if your giftee has a green thumb, then you can’t go wrong with gardening supplies. From raised planters and pots to seeds, tools, and insect hotels – any garden improvement supplies are sure to be appreciated. You could even offer your help weekly to tend to the garden since that is an activity that can be achieved from a social distance.

If your giftee is not so gifted in the garden, outdoor decor can really help enhance their space. Bird baths, houses, and feeders, wind chimes, decorative solar lights, and benches are all great places to start. Setting up a bird feeding station in your giftee’s backyard will allow them to enjoy nature without having to get their hands dirty.

Outdoor Games:

At this point, I’m sure everyone is bored of board games so anything that can be played outside is sure to please. Bocce ball, cornhole, croquet, and horseshoes can all be played from a social distance. There are even huge outdoor versions of classic games like checkers, chess, Connect 4, and Jenga. Outdoor games are such fun and can be used year after year so they are perfect for friends who love to entertain when the weather permits.

Summertime Treats:

What is the warm weather without popsicles, smoothies, snow cones, and ice cream? Nothing, I tell you! All of the treats that I just mentioned to help cool you down on a hot day can be made from home so you could gift the appliance or supplies needed to make them. Don’t forget a recipe book so they have plenty of ideas to work with and your gift doesn’t become just a one time use item. Perfect for the person on your list with a sweet tooth.

Warm weather is also a great time to enjoy spritzers and cocktails so if you are shopping for an amateur bartender, the ingredients for light and refreshing drinks would make a nice addition to the home bar.

Painting Supplies:

Paint nights are insanely popular and are fun for the artistic and not so much alike. They can also be done in the great outdoors so how about preparing a paint night kit for your giftee? Find inspiration for a painting project on Pinterest, get the necessary supplies, a blanket to sit on, and a picnic basket to hold everything. You could even double the order to make it work for a date night for your giftee and their significant other! Whomever it is you are shopping for will love getting in touch with their creative side while enjoying the weather and will be touched by how thoughtful the gift is too. 🙂

Get started on your warm weather birthday shopping with the ideas above that will keep your giftee smiling in the sunshine for as long as the weather allows!

What season is your birthday in? What is your favorite outdoor activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Seahorses, Butterflies, & Toucans – Oh My!

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Seahorses, Butterflies, & Toucans – Oh My!

Howdy! Having a little niece and nephew is so fun and I love spoiling them both for birthdays and Christmas. My niece, Valerie, just turned two this past week and I had a blast online shopping with TJMaxx to purchase her prezzies. Among a Paw Patrol gardening kit and a sand castle table, I couldn’t resist buying my lil future fashionista some new summer dresses. Not only were the prices for these frocks cheaper than Target or Carter’s but they are, quite possibly, the cutest things that I have ever seen and I couldn’t not share them! Check it out:

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All I have to say when I clothes shop for Val Gal is “where was all of this stuff when I was a baby?!” because you know I stayed rockin that Osh Kosh B’Gosh twenty something years ago lol. I thought all of these dresses were so summery and sweet and Val loves animals big and small so the patterns will go over perfectly with her! In fact, one of her favorite things in the summer time is butterfly watching with her grandpa. 🙂

The denim blue butterfly dress by Nula Bug absolutely melted my heart when I saw it during my online shopping. The pink butterfly buttons?! Stop it! I also didn’t notice in the pictures of the dress online that it has pockets so my heart melted again as soon as it arrived in the mail.

I would never pay an extravagant price for clothes for my ever growing niece and nephew and felt comfortable with what I spent at TJs. Especially because I did all of this shopping during their winter clearance sale! Shopping during the transition of seasons is a sure fire way to save some money and TJMaxx updates their sale items frequently. This is always a good thing to keep in mind if you like to do birthday or holiday shopping early, like me.

Being an aunt is the best thing ever and the past two years have been so much brighter for me because of my niece and nephew. I sure wish time would slow down, though, it feels like just yesterday when they were both born! ❤

Which stores have the best seasonal clearance? Who is your favorite person to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Fun & (Video) Games: Valentine’s Day Edition

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Fun & (Video) Games: Valentine’s Day Edition

Hello! Johnny and I are both avid gamers. In fact, we just got done playing about an hour and a half of Diablo III on the Switch before I sat down to write this, lol. My absolute favorite video game of 2020 has to be Paper Mario: The Origami King, which Johnny gifted me with for our one year anniversary this past September. When I first learned that there was a Paper Mario game for the Switch, I was so eager to play it and devoured it in about a month.

I was looking forward to that game so much because, way back in the day, I rented Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door from Block Buster (That just aged me so much!) and never forgot how much fun it was to play. I also never forgot the fact that I got to the final boss but was never able to beat it, smh. After enjoying The Origami King so much, I told Johnny that I would give anything to play The Thousand Year Door again for the GameCube. However, I knew this was unlikely because the GameCube is no longer made, therefore, the used games are uber expensive.

I had come to terms with the fact that I would probably never play my favorite childhood game again – Until Johnny gave me my Valentine’s Day present, that is. My darling boyfriend surprised me with The Thousand Year Door a week before V-Day!

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Johnny spent the Saturday afternoon prior to Valentine’s Day running errands, but he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. I knew he was going to be getting me my V-Day gift, though, through girlfriend instinct and I couldn’t wait for him to come home so I could maybe sneak a peak at what kind of bag it was in! I wasn’t expecting him to give me my gift when he walked in the door but he was so proud of visiting two different Exchanges to get the game that he just couldn’t wait. 🙂

After I gifted Johnny with his prezzie of the LEGO Architecture Paris skyline set, we spent the afternoon with him building our own mini Paris while I played my new game. It was absolutely perfect and The Thousand Year Door was just as fun and adorable as I remember it being. Whether Johnny and I are trying to beat an impossible seeming level of Mario Galaxy or slaying hell’s demons in Diablo III, I love our video game time together.

I am so blown away by Johnny’s gift and how thoughtful it was because it shows me that he listens when I tell him about my favorite things and that’s what means the most to me. Celebrating holidays with Johnny never gets old and I can’t wait for infinite more Valentine’s Days with him. ❤

What was your favorite childhood video game? What video game are you currently playing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat!