Tag Archives: great success

Aug10

New Kyodan Mini Skort

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New Kyodan Mini Skort

Howdy!! This past week I made a trip to TJMaxx for a few things. I needed a reup on serum, beaucoup Bluey gifts for our almost birthday girl niece, and kept my fingers crossed to find a new skirt. The TJs gods smiled upon me because I got everything I wanted in spades! For my birthday, Johnny gifted me with tickets to see The Struts at the House Of Blues (Peep a post about the show and my OOTD soon!). I knew which top and shoes that I wanted to wear but I thought a sassy little mini skirt would take the OOTD OTT (Over The Top lol). It took a while to find what I was looking for but success was oh so sweet when I did:

^^^ Originally forty-eight bucks and I got it for thirteen! SCORE!

When I am shopping for clothing at TJMaxx, I typically follow a specific method: Make one round in the women’s and junior’s department, try clothes on, then make a second round for anything I might have missed or different sizes. During my initial trip around the store, I found several options for mini skirts that could have worked and had no such luck with any of them. After a lackluster fitting room session, I made my way back to hunt for more skirts and was coming up empty. Then, inspiration struck right in the knick of time.

As I went through my mental Rolodex of skirts in my wardrobe, I recalled that one of my favorites wasn’t found in my usual departments at TJs. It was actually a tennis skirt that I found in the athletic section. It was just the brain blast I needed and just as soon as I began browsing the athleisure, I discovered exactly what I had in mind. A bright white school girl style skort by Kyodan. It also happens to be the same brand of my fave tennis skirt!

I knew that the white skort was going to work and trying it on only confirmed it. It was the perfect neutral to pair with the crazy platforms I was going to wear and provided the best movement to dance the night away. This skort was also nice and light and I freaking loved the fact that it was a skort. I was definitely trying to let loose for the concert but I wasn’t trying to let everyone see my underoos all night lol. For thirteen bucks, this skort elevated my OOTD and I can’t wait for all of you to see it. 🙂

An amazing concert deserved an amazing outfit and I felt as much like a star as one of my favorite bands on the stage. Thank you, TJMaxx! ❤

Do you have a method you follow when you shop? What is one of your favorite brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

My Big Weekend In

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My Big Weekend In

Howdy! Last week was freaking awesome because my family went on a little getaway to Idlewild Park in Pennsylvania. We had so much fun but it was total anarchy being with five kids under six years old and by the time we got home, I was SO exhausted lol. Kudos to all parents because I truly don’t know how you do it! I returned to work after our mini vaca and in this particular case, your girl was working for the weekend. Johnny had to work overtime all weekend to complete inventory and that meant that the apartment was ALL mine. I seriously can’t recall a time when I had the apartment to myself – probably before Johnny moved in with me lol. As this is something that literally never happens, I took full advantage of it…

By doing nothing! All I wanted to do was sit, relax, watch my shows, play my games, and talk to my blogging bestie and I did so in spades. After the cacophony of an amusement park, I needed peace and quiet time to unwind and recharge my batteries for this week. I truly became one with my couch, which means that I achieved everything I wanted to do. Although I missed Johnny terribly, I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t absolutely delicious to put America’s Next Top Model on the boob tube without any complaints. And, if the bunnies did mind, they weren’t saying anything about it. 😀

While the novelty of an ANTM marathon sans Johnny’s commentary was a thrill, the most exciting part of my weekend was finally beating Paper Mario Sticker Star. I am an avid fan of the Paper Mario games and have all of them minus Sticker Star for the 3DS. At a buy/sell/trade store a few weeks ago, I found it for only twenty dollars and it was as good as mine. I had this game FOREVER ago and never beat it. I also have no idea what happened to it and I was so happy to have the completed Paper Mario collection. It was just as fun as I remembered it being and is easily one of my favorites!

With Tyra Banks droning on about smizeing in the background, I played and played and played Paper Mario some more. I haven’t had a good video game session in a long while and I just couldn’t stop myself! In fact, the last time I did “game” was the last time I was playing a Paper Mario game forever ago lol. When I had Sticker Star back in the day, I couldn’t win the final Bowser battle to save my own life. It proved to be just as difficult as I remembered it being and I almost gave up. However, when I was texting with my big bro about it, he encouraged me to keep on trying and that I would be able to do it. Armed with his support, I gave it another go and it’s safe to say I made Bowser my bitch and victory was oh so sweet!

Sometimes you just need to do nothing and that is okay. This is your sign to take it easy when you feel like you need it – as a little treat from me! ❤

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

Aug6

Summer Breeze OOTD Bloopers

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Summer Breeze OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Summer Breeze OOTD! This little look was worn for a Date Day with my main squeeze and it was a fabulous time! It was also a fabulous fit too and we made the photo shoot work despite the heat. It was seriously hot AF and we were sweating buckets by the time we made it into the restaurant we went to for lunch. But, hey, that’s show biz baby! Take a peek at some of these yikes shots and let’s discuss an update on one of my summer goals that didn’t work out so great:

Straight up CACKLING at something or other Johnny said. Look, mom, no cavities!

FE FI FO FUM

Literally blinded by the light (Revved up like a deuce another runner in the night)

Using my arms for the first time

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Lil Red

LMAO at this face

Peep these PANTALOONS!!!!

As you all know, I simply REFUSE to get my vividly dyed hair wet to keep that color fresh until my next hair appointment. Because of this charming quirk, it makes the activity of swimming literally impossible and is more like wading and treading water instead. I have always said that if I ever were to swim swim, that I would get a swimming cap and have never done so… Until my trip to Idlewild Park and SoakZone with my family. I wanted to swim in the pool at the hotel with my littles and live it up at the water park and was not going to let anything get in my way!

After our first day at Idlewild, I was determined to hit the pool as soon as we got to the hotel to give my bright purple swim cap a test run. Within five minutes, my bikini was on, my hair was safely tucked away under the cap, and I was ready to do this thing! I jumped right into the pool and started front stroke, back stroke, and breast stroking away. I was swimming laps like it was my job and it felt so great! After a half hour or so, I was wiped out and made my way back to the room to see how the swim cap fared and… it didn’t. My hair was soaked and I was PISSED. -_- (Also I learned that swim caps weren’t made to keep hair dry which is something I should have Googled in advance SMFH. Such a good idea in theory!)

As I lamented in the bathroom and brushed out my wet hair that was bleeding color profusely, a small silver bag by the hotel provided toiletries caught my eye. It was a shower cap! Since the swim cap didn’t do NOTHING, I figured I might as well give the shower cap a go at the water park the following day. And you know what? It worked like a charm! In fact, I was getting compliments on my hair left and right at SoakZone because everyone could tell exactly why that shower cap was on to begin with despite me sticking out like a sore thumb. A shower cap might not be the move for actual swimming but it did the job perfectly at the water park and that was good enough for me!

Even though my swim cap idea was a bust from its conception, it still felt amazing to swim and major ups to the shower cap for coming through in the clutch. VERY NICE!

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

Aug3

July 2025 Finishes

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July 2025 Finishes

Howdy everyone and welcome to a brand new month here on lifewithlilred! We can’t let the beginning of August pass us by without going back in time to July to discuss all things beauty finishes. This past month provided beaucoup empties and while some were great, others missed the mark completely and I was SO happy to be done with them! Let’s take a look at some of the must have highlights as well as the ones that you can thank me later for skipping on:

Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Lotion: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Precision Beauty Brightening Serum: NO

Bath & Body Works Gingham All-American Body Cream: YES

Bath & Body Works Always & Forever Body Cream: HARD NO

Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel: YES

Azure Collagen & Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Twisted Peppermint Lotion: Do you enjoy the scent of Thin Mint cookies? If so, you are going to freaking LOVE Twisted Peppermint. This is easily one of my favorite scents from the holiday collection and I was so sad when I used up this lotion after three or so weeks of daily use. It served all of the Christmas in July vibes and I can’t wait to get a re-up on my Twisted Peppermint fix as soon as the holiday season hits!

Precision Beauty Serum: This brightening serum by Precision Beauty was a major disappointment for me. First and foremost, I didn’t notice any differences in my skin’s radiance. Equally as important, this serum was not a great value either. I needed several pumps of the serum to achieve full coverage on my face and neck. It took me a little less than three weeks of twice daily use to finish the bottle. In stark contrast, the serum I have been using since I finished this serum in mid July is not even halfway done yet. This is definitely a product you can bypass.

B&BW Gingham All-American Body Cream: Do you enjoy the scent of Rocket Pops? Or perhaps a juicy bowl of red berries? Then you are going to freaking LOVE Gingham All-American! I am a HUGE fan of all things Gingham from B&BW and their newest addition is pure summer fun. Sweet strawberries and tart raspberries do all of the talking and All-American is high up on my list of favorite Gingham expansions. Don’t get me wrong, nothing will ever beat the OG but All-American is a fabulous all around effort.

B&BW Always & Forever Body Cream: Sometimes when I have a freebie coupon for B&BW, I go fully random. I’ll grab the first travel size item I see, check out, and see what happens later lol. Honestly, I should have given Always & Forever a sniff test because I never would have gotten it! If you are a fan of smelling like an old lady, then go for it obvi. However, if you don’t want to smell like a lace doily, stay clear of Always & Forever for always and forever!

Azure Moisturizer: There were a lot of things that I liked about this moisturizer. The texture was nice and light, which is perfect for summer. It absorbed quickly and sat well under makeup. This moisturizer was also very long lasting and took me over a month of twice daily use to complete the jar. These are all important to me but unfortunately mean nothing because this moisturizer was not it. It made literally no difference to my skin’s appearance after extended use and didn’t provide the tightening sensation that I love in a collagen based product. In theory, this was a good moisturizer. In practice, not so much.

I finished up lots of goodies in July and for the most part, it was a pretty damn successful month on the empties front. I can’t wait to break out new skin care and smell goods all August long! 😀

What products did you finish up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

Brunch Babe OOTD Bloopers

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Brunch Babe OOTD Bloopers

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

Jul7

Feeling Lucky

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Feeling Lucky

Hello! At the beginning of April, I was in need of some new sunglasses and bought two new pairs at TJMaxx. I was especially partial to the pair by Lucky Brand because it is one of my favorite brands and the sunglasses fit me to the T. In fact, I loved them so much that I almost considered buying two pairs of them. I wore those babies everywhere and I just felt so cool in them! Because I wore them everywhere, it’s no surprise that they accompanied me to the Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson concert. It was one of the craziest nights of my life and I ended up losing my beloved pair of Lucky Brand sunnies in the mix. I was absolutely devastated. I went from wearing them every day to not having them at all and I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying that back up pair.

I was feeling fairly confident that if I went to TJMaxx, they would not have another pair of my beloved Luckies. It had been well over two months since the initial purchase so why would they? However, I just had to see for myself so I made a pit stop to the happiest place on Earth. Rather than browse through the store, I made a beeline to the sunglasses department and began scouring the shelves. I started at the left hand side, looked through the rows from top to bottom, and was seeing nothing. I continued the hunt to be one thousand percent sure and, as luck would have it, one pair of Lucky frames remained at the very end of the display. I couldn’t believe my good fortune and snatched them up!

Had there been more pairs of these sunglasses, I would have bought the lot of them. Sunglasses can get broken or lost so easily and I have experienced both firsthand. So the moral of the story is: There is no shame in buying back ups of anything you really love. It could be a great pair of ballet flats, your favorite T-shirt in different colors, and yes – sunglasses too. I learned my lesson when my favorite pair of sunglasses I have ever owned almost got away from me and I am not making that same mistake twice!

The fashion gods were truly smiling upon me when they returned my Lucky frames to their rightful owner. I was feeling so lucky I should have played the lottery! 😀

Do you buy back ups of anything in your wardrobe? Have you ever lost a favorite fashion item? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul4

Bath & Body Works Summer Sweets Collection

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Bath & Body Works Summer Sweets Collection

Howdy!! During my last trip to Bath & Body Works, I was on the hunt for hand soaps but spent some time browsing the rest of the store. I had no intention of buying anything else because I refuse to pay full price for their products, I just wanted to see and smell what was new – especially one of their latest collections. I saw advertisements for Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, and Blue Raspberry scents and I had to see what that was all about! Even though everything smelled awesome, I didn’t make a purchase. As luck would have it, though, this collection was featured a few weeks later in the Semi Annual Sale and I was able to get these products for four bucks instead of eighteen. SCORE!! Check it out and let’s discuss these scents:

^^^ How cute is that packaging?! So fun and summery!

Cotton Candy Clouds: This fragrance literally has me on cloud nine and I am obsessed. I don’t think cotton candy has a scent, but if it did – this would be it! Cotton Candy Clouds offers notes of “spun sugar, pink berries, and whipped vanilla” and as an avid vanilla fan, I am all about it. If you are not, this is definitely one that you can skip on because it really is pure vanilla with the slightest hint of strawberries. Cotton Candy? Maybe. A vanilla cone with fresh strawberries on top? Absolutely!

Bubble Gum Pop: Now, this scent is a lot more straight forward than Cotton Candy Clouds lol. There’s not much room for interpretation on a Bubble Gum scent! Just imagine a piece of Big Chew and there you go. The notes of “gumball sugar, candied fruits, and citrus burst” are all just smoke and mirrors to say “this smells exactly like a piece of bubble gum”. Simple as that! I can’t say that I would get this scent again but I couldn’t resist at least getting a shower gel. 😀

Blue Raspberry Burst: The piece de resistance of this batch has got to be Blue Raspberry Burst! I am a blue flavor gal through and through – blue Gatorade, blue Icees, blue slushies, blue Italian Ice, blue candy, Blue Moon ice cream, all blue everything. If you, too, share my sentiments that anything blue is the best, then this is the scent for you. Blue Raspberry Burst features notes of “blue raspberry (obvi lol), juicy candy, and sweet musk” and smells exactly like a blue Jolly Rancher. AKA the best flavor!! I am SO there for it and had to get it in a fragrance spray too. I can’t wait to use them. ❤

I didn’t think it was possible, but these scents are even sweeter because the price was nice. I got four items for less than it would have costed to get one full price. You can’t beat that!!

Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? What did you get in your haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

June 2025 Finishes

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June 2025 Finishes

Hello everyone! June is drawing to a close which means bye bye birthaversary month and hello to more summer fun in July! It also means that it’s about that time to discuss my beauty empties. This month, I finished up two long term products. Normally, I am excited about that because I always look forward to trying more new to me bath and body and skin care. This time around, however, I am royally bummed out because these products were easily two of the best that I have used in recent memory. Take a look and let’s discuss:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid + Retinol Eye Cream: YES!!

AllAboutSkin Hyaluronic Acid Night Cream: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Eye Cream: I began using this eye cream in April and after almost three months of use, I am so sad to see it go. Usually, I don’t find myself getting attached to products but this one was so good that it was hard not to! This eye cream was a fantastic water gel texture. It was cooling, incredibly light, and I could feel optimum nourishment with the tiniest dab. While using this eye cream, my under eye designer bags decreased significantly and I definitely noticed fine lines getting tighter too. It is an excellent year round product but would be especially nice during the summer because it is so lightweight. I cannot recommend it enough and am keeping my fingers crossed to find another jar or ten at TJMaxx!

AllAboutSkin Moisturizer: Despite the AllAboutSkin Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer being technically a “night cream”, I considered it my all day moisturizer and applied it morning and night. I started using this jar in mid April and literally just finished it. I have never had a moisturizer last me that long before which was, in itself, very impressive for the value of my money alone. Like the eye cream, a super small amount of this moisturizer went a very long way – I used a nickel sized dollop with every use. This was just the right amount because this moisturizer is a bit heavier in texture. Regardless of that, it absorbed really quickly and achieved maximum hydration. My skin felt and looked soft and smooth and transformed into the prettiest peaches and cream complexion. This is the moisturizer to have and I highly recommend it!

Parting was such sweet sorrow with my two new favorite products and I will be keeping my eyes peeled high and low to find them again. How do you say goodbye to the best?!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun2

May 2025 Finishes

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May 2025 Finishes

Hello everyone! Holy moly! We’re in June already and haven’t discussed my beauty finishes for May so let’s get right on that today. The entirety of May was dreary and cold but the products that I used up were red hot and highly successful. I loved using several new to me goodies and cannot wait to visit TJMaxx soon for a skin and bath and body care restock. I don’t want to speak too soon, but I have a feeling I will be getting beaucoup gift cards for my upcoming thirty-first (Ahhh!) birthday! Rather than ruminate on another year older, let’s talk products instead:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Gingham Fragrance Spray: YES

ValJean Labs Hyaluronic Acid + Micellar Water Foaming Cleanser: YES!!!!

Bath & Body Works Pretty As A Peach Lotion: YES

Precision Beauty Glow Up Vitamin C Serum: YES!

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Fragrance Spray: Gingham is one of my all time favorite scents by Bath & Body Works. It is crisp, clean, and just smells fresh. It’s the perfect mixture of fruity and floral and I have used my body spray religiously until the last drop. I couldn’t even tell you how long it took me to finish this bottle because I feel like I have been using it for forever lol. While I am sad to be done with it, I am excited to try a new scent considering it has probably been close to a year of going Gingham! Is the scent from B&BW fragrance sprays long lasting? Hard no. Will I continue to use them? Absolutely.

ValJean Labs Cleanser: This Hyaluronic Acid + Micellar Water Foaming Cleanser by ValJean Labs is, easily, one of the best ones I have used in recent memory. It took well over three months to finish the bottle and I am hoping to find more at TJMaxx because I will be buying the lot. This cleanser is so delightfully reminiscent of the Aloe Foaming Cleanser by The Body Shop and a little of it went such a long way. With every use, my skin felt so clean, soft, and refreshed. It is a phenomenal any time cleanser and I think it would be so great during the hot summer months. If you have a normal or sensitive skin type, I cannot recommend this cleanser enough!!

B&BW Lotion: When it comes to fruity scents, I am ALL about apple and peach. Apple will always reign supreme but peach is a close second and I just love my Pretty As A Peach from B&BW. This scent is just pure, peachy goodness with no bells and whistles. If you, too, are a fan – then go for this fragrance because you will be just as obsessed as I am! It took me one month of daily use to finish the bottle.

Precision Beauty Serum: I had been striking out with serums recently and this Vitamin C gem by Precision Beauty was a game changer. I needed a serum win and this one delivered in a big way! While it was a tad thicker in consistency than what I prefer, it made a big difference in the radiance and glow department. My skin looked so bright, refreshed, and alert even though I am always half asleep lol. Because this serum was fairly thick, half of the dropper was all I needed for full coverage and it took me one month of twice daily use to complete it. I would definitely buy it again!

This month introduced me to two new favorite products and no duds. You can’t beat that!! Stay tuned for more product reviews so we can decide what’s a hit and miss together!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May28

TikTok Talk

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TikTok Talk

Hello!! As you all know, I am a word girl through and through. I have always preferred blogging as my main outlet which is why I was never particularly interested in incorporating video content too. However, after making a big life change, I had more free time on my hands, said “why not?”, and started my TikTok in mid March. This was not to take the place of my blog, but to enhance it with footage of OOTDs, bloopers, cooking, and whatever else strikes my fancy. After one day on the social media platform, I finally got what all the fuss is about because it is kind of fun!

I have no delusions of becoming a TikTok star, even though it would be awesome. I’m just proud of the fact that people are actually watching my content. Even if it was just one person, I would be proud because video content isn’t in my comfort zone and I decided to go for it anyways. And, I’ve got to say, after two months I feel pretty awesome about my amount of likes and almost ONE HUNDRED followers!

Slow and steady wins the race and even if my page’s progress isn’t astronomical, it’s there, and that’s good enough for me. And, as another old cliche goes, if you never try, you never know. While video content isn’t my forte, you don’t need to be Spielberg to create a video and post it on TikTok. Had I didn’t give it the old college try, I wouldn’t have realized how much fun it is to create in a new medium. Whether you’re thinking about starting a blog, going to the gym, growing a garden, or making a profile on a different social media platform – go for it! If you end up not liking it, it’s okay. The most important thing is that you gave it a shot and you know one way or the other. I definitely expected to fall off of my TikTok a few days in but I have posted daily content since its creation. Your new favorite thing could be just one try away!

As always, give me a follow on TikTok @lilred6794 and keep pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. You never know what opportunities will come from it!

Have you tried something new recently? How did it go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah