Tag Archives: halloween

Oct1

Halloween Haul

Posted on October 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!!! In my neck of the woods, Marc’s is a beloved staple. It is a discount grocery store (with lots of random odds and ends) and my family visits it fairly frequently. Around this time of the year, all kinds of Halloween goodies find a home in their “closeout aisle” (that features said random odds and ends). As soon as this happens, my dad always notifies me so I can get first dibs and it never fails to leave me feeling #blessed lol. This past week, I made a Marc’s run to see if there was anything noteworthy and there sure was! I am officially done with my Halloween (all year round) decor shopping from this fun haul. Check it out:

Surprisingly, the first thing I clocked on the shelves wasn’t any of the bigger treats. It was actually the teeny tiny salt and pepper shaker shaped like The Count from Sesame Street. I literally clutched my pearls when I saw it because I knew Johnny would love it. In his youth, one of the Halloween costumes his mom made for him was of The Count, his favorite character. He looks back on all of the costumes crafted by his mom most fondly and he couldn’t believe my fifty cent find. Unfortunately, it was the only one left so a set wasn’t possible, but I think this lone shaker was meant to find a place on our spooky shelves!

I also added a few tiny treat yoselfs to the mix too. I have desperately needed a new travel tumbler so I can sip on water throughout the day. All of mine are too small and constantly need refilling which is inconvenient, but I never cared to spend an arm and a leg on a new one because they can be rather expensive. I scored the ghost adorned tumbler for three bucks and it is the perfect size and matches all my spooky vibes. The jack-o-lantern tights were also a three dollar addition and I am obsessed. I have seen this design of tights before and never bought them for myself so I can’t wait to break them out with skater skirts this season.

After going through the smaller odds and ends of the closeout aisle, I browsed through the bigger pieces of decor. There, I walked away with the most adorable light up vampire and a walking and light up turtle skeleton. Yes, these were partially for Johnny and I BUT I knew our eldest niece would be delighted by them. She is a huge fan of our Halloween decor and Halloween in general and we are so unbelievably happy for it. I know for a fact that she will want to use the vampire as a nightlight during our next slumber party and will, without a doubt in my mind, make the skele-turtle chase her Uncle Johnny! We have instilled a love for Halloween in her since she has been born and it is the absolute best to share in the season with her. ❤

With that, My Halloween shopping is complete and it couldn’t have ended on a cuter note. As always, discount stores for the win!!!!

How are you decorating for Halloween? What is your favorite Halloween candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Spooky Surprises

Posted on September 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Halloween decor reigns supreme in my household all year round and Johnny and I add a few new things every year when the stores shift to spooky season. For the past two years, my contribution were snow globes with a Halloween twist. I really liked the idea of getting one new snow globe per year as a tradition. During our date day, we made a visit to TJMaxx and, unfortunately, their snow globe selection left a lot to be desired. We did, however, find this ultra cool skull that I am obsessed with! Check it out:

As we made our rounds through spooky decor, everything was pretty picked over. There were a few things that we took note of but nothing worth buying. That is, until the red skull with blinged out devil horns caught my eye. It was the very last one on the shelf and as soon as I saw the ten dollar price tag, it was immediately added to our cart. We are seasoned pros when it comes to Halloween decorations but I had never seen anything quite like this before. This skull is so different from anything we have and its brilliant shade of red speaks sweet nothings to my Lil Red heart. It certainly makes a statement on our many spooky shelves!!

One final little treat I purchased for myself was a pair of Betsey Johnson spiderweb tights. They were expertly placed in the catch all aisle as you are waiting to check out and that really is where TJMaxx gets you! I am a huge fan of all things Betsey and these tights are just what I needed for fall. Literally every pair I have is riddled with holes and while these are holey, they are purposeful lol. Patterned tights are an amazing way to shake up sweater dresses and skater skirts. They also look so edgy and cool when worn under shorts. I cannot wait to break my spiderweb pair out to add some spooky flare to any OOTD. 😀

These Spooky Surprises were the perfect, cost effective little somethings to bring home during our date day shopping trip. The best surprise, though, is the fact that Johnny asked me to go to TJMaxx in the first place!! 🙂

Do you and your partner like to shop together? What are your favorite stores to visit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep21

Fall Family Fun

Posted on September 21, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I am a fall girl through and through. The weather, the fashion, the holidays – it is just the best! Fall is when your favorite elder emo couple thrives because we do not do well in the hot weather whatsoever. Johnny and I both get burned to a crisp and I always end up feeling nauseous from being in the heat too long (medication side effects). As soon as that brisk weather hits, we are ready for all of the activities and it’s even more fun with our families and sweet nieces in tow. Here are some of the outings I hope to have as well as some other ideas too:

Apple Picking:

Apple picking is SO obvious but it needs to be said as it is quite possibly my favorite autumn activity. It truly is a fall staple and there are so many gorgeous orchards in my neck of the woods. Apple picking is such a wholesome outing and there is nothing better than taking a leisurely stroll amongst the trees. If the orchards in your area are similar to mine, there are also sure to be lots of kid friendly attractions too – hay rides, petting zoos, crafts, games, etc. These extra bonuses will make for a day that your whole family, young and old, can enjoy together.

Glass Blowing:

There are several glass blowing studios nearby to me and it is something that I have always wanted to try! Now, especially, because I have seen countless ads on Facebook from said studios offering classes for glass blown pumpkins. While this isn’t an ideal activity for younger kiddos, it would be great for teens or a date night. Johnny and I already have countless pumpkin related Halloween decor but nothing handmade by us so I would love to get a class scheduled and learn something new.

Movie Night:

Johnny and I try to watch as many scary movies as humanly possible during spooky season and we both really look forward to it. Movie nights are simple, yes, but they can be as extra as you wish. You could set up twinkling orange and purple lights and a blanket fort and make all of the treats! A caramel apple station with a variety of topping options will be sure to please. You can also find recipes for mocktails that will look like a bubbling brew and serve them in potion bottles for the full effect. Revisit Disney channel movie classics for younger kiddos or cool claymation flicks like Coraline or Paranorman for your teens!

Decorate:

Mine and Johnny’s main qualm with apartment living is that we don’t have a yard to decorate for Halloween, so please decorate in our honor. This is something that the whole family can pitch in on. Littles could make paper chains, paper bag owls, and paint pictures for the indoors. Older helpers can work outside to create Halloween magic! Set a budget per person, visit local discount stores, and see what you can come up with. Who knows, your house just might be the best decorated one on the block.

Scavenger Hunt:

Speaking of decorations, if your neighborhood or surrounding areas boasts well decorated homes – turn it into a scavenger hunt. Make a list of what you are looking for, grab some travel mugs of hot apple cider, and hit the road to see what you can see. And play the Monster Mash on repeat, obvi! This is the perfect activity for when you just feel like getting out of the house on a chilly night. After your drive, take a superlative style vote for best decorated, scariest, and silliest. You also might get some inspiration for your own home’s decor!

Johnny and I have emerged from our coffins and are ready to enjoy a fun and full fall together and with our families. It really is the happiest time of the year!

What is your favorite fall activity? What are you dressing up as for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Sweet Surprises: Halloween Decor Galore Edition

Posted on August 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Sweet Surprises: Halloween Decor Galore Edition

Hello!! Whenever Johnny and I are running errands, we like to pick up little tokens of affection if we see something that reminds us of each other. It could be a new record, a book, or even a candy bar to share for dessert. Whatever it is, it’s always exciting to return home and say that we have a surprise. This past week, Johnny stopped at Marc’s which is a discount grocery store in our neck of the woods. He had a few odds and ends to pick up as well as this silly little something that was hanging up at my work station once I got home:

As soon as I saw this wine related sign on my computer chair, I couldn’t stop laughing because I knew exactly why Johnny got it. Yes, I do love wine lol. However, the deeper meaning behind it is a nod to one of our favorite Saturday Night Live skits. Long story short, a family is celebrating a special occasion. The children and husband present the mom with wooden signs that have phrases on them. Think “Live, Laugh, Love”. As she continues to open the presents, the phrases get more and more ridiculous. For example, a sign about wine devolves into “I’m a mess and love drinking alone”. We are constantly quoting these segments and Johnny was so pleased to have found something similar and for only a dollar to boot!

This truly goes to show that it doesn’t matter how much you spend on anything, rather it’s the thought behind it. For one dollar, Johnny found spooky decor that reflected one of our running inside jokes and makes me smile every time I see it. My husband was chomping at the bit for me to get home and placed it in a prime position for maximum effect. He knows my routine of going right to the computer after work and had it waiting just for me. As far as I’m concerned, this Sweet Surprise was worth a million bucks because it made me feel like it. I am the luckiest gal. ❤

I didn’t need wine to focus on writing this post, but I sure appreciate the sentiment anyways. Shout out to Johnny for always being the absolute best!

Do you have any signs with funny phrases at home? What is your favorite Saturday Night Live skit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

Five Dollar Decor

Posted on August 24, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I live for this time of year as we transition into fall. Primarily because all of the spooky season decor and clothing hits the stores. Unfortunately, TJMaxx had a whole lot of nothing in the Halloween department during a recent visit. I did get a really cute candy corn plushie, though! After that shopping trip, I decided to let Halloween decor come to me. And it did! During a quick break at work, I stopped into Target to pick up a few birthday prezzies for my bestie. Right around where I was browsing was the five dollar and under section and I literally clutched my pearls when I found this absolute steal:

Amidst the bits and bobbles of the dollar department, I stumbled upon the very last five dollar Frankenstein jar. Pastel Halloween decor is so on trend and I couldn’t believe my good fortune to have snagged it. Like I said, letting Halloween decor come to me really worked! Of course, the five buck price was not a shock as it was marked as such but it honestly was lol. As soon as I found it, I thought to myself that I would be paying at least double that if I found it at TJMaxx or elsewhere. It was the perfect, cost effective little treat and I couldn’t wait to bring it home to show Johnny and display it on our knick knack shelves.

What I love about my new Frankenstein jar is how different it is. Mine and Johnny’s spooky artifacts mainly feature black, white, and red so this pastel pop of color was a unique and welcome addition. This was my first time in Target in literally forever and it made me very curious about what other Halloween goodies were going to be available in store. In my ideal world there would be a full collection of pastel horror movie monster jars, but I would happily settle for just a Dracula. How cool would that be?!

There were no tricks about this little treat and my appetite for all of the spooky things has been curbed… Ever so slightly for the time being! 😀

Who is your favorite horror movie monster? What kind of Halloween decor do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug16

Just Get The Plushie!

Posted on August 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Right now is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is cooling down and that means spooky season is basically already here lol finally! A majority of stores already have their Halloween collections out, including TJMaxx. On my break during work, I made a quick visit to TJs to pick up a few Back To School prezzies for my niece. And, of course, I had to peep their Halloween decor too! Unfortunately, their selection wasn’t anything to sneeze at and I was disappointed to have not found a spooky themed snow globe as per my yearly tradition. However, I did find the most adorable plushie so check out my new pal:

^^^ Lol at the close up shot!

Johnny and I are plushie people and have countless stuffies that we like to snuggle up with when we are watching TV or retiring for the night. As soon as I saw the candy corn plush at TJ’s, I knew it was coming home with me because 1) Johnny would love it too. And 2) We have a corn dog plushie that Johnny won for me at the county fair last year and it would be funny to have two corn related stuffed animals. My parents also happened to be at the store running errands and when I showed my dad Mr. Candy Corn, he said something to the likes of “you’re just pissing your money away”. All I have to say to that is…

If you are an adult – just buy the plushie!

Lol, yes you heard me. Buy the damn plushie and enjoy your treat. I feel like people my age (Thirty somethings) are very in touch with their inner child and it is okay to spoil yourself with purchases like a stuffed animal. We are in tune to the “treat yourself” culture and if that treat puts a smile on your face and doesn’t break your bank, then go for it! It’s no secret that the times we are living in are totally whacky and people are stressed and scared. Items like a plushie bring comfort and it’s not surprising that I know so many people in mine and Johnny’s age group that gravitate towards them. It’s not weird and it’s not a stupid purchase. Rather, it’s something little that you can do for yourself and, most importantly, who cares what anyone else has to say about it. I sure don’t!

Johnny and I adore the new addition to our plushie collection and I didn’t put the candy corn stuffie down from the moment I brought it home. It was a twelve dollar investment and worth every penny and then some. Pissing money away? I think not!

What is one of your go to treat yourself purchases? What is something you collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug4

Bath & Body Works Haul

Posted on August 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! A week or so ago I got some coupons from Bath & Body Works in the mail for a free wallflower and twenty percent off your purchase. This was perfect timing because I was in need of more of my foaming hand soap as it was pretty slim pickings during the semi annual sale in June. During a quick break at work, I was able to stop in and restock my soap, grab a freebie wallflower, and some new hand sanitizer too. The fragrance I got for hand sani during the semi annual sale reeked lol! Let’s take a look and discuss these scents further:

Bath & Body Works was jam packed with fall and Halloween fragrances and I was living for it! If you haven’t peeped their Halloween collection, make sure you check it out because everything is fabulous. Rather than stick to one scent category, I got a little bit of everything and contained myself from buying literally every single spooky related product. It was much easier said than done! Here are my thoughts on the above…

Chew Make Me Happy: In case you couldn’t guess, this hand soap smells exactly like bubblegum! Johnny and I watch our nieces fairly often and they are always excited to see what smell goods I have when they visit. I knew they would go gaga over the bubblegum scent so this was definitely for them. I probably wouldn’t have bought this one if it weren’t for the kiddos, but they’ll love it so it’s good enough for me!

Candy Apple Cauldron: Apple is my absolute favorite scent so I was really excited to see that one of the new Halloween fragrances was Candy Apple Cauldron. It offers notes of “mysterious green apple, simmering sugar, and crystalized bergamot”. I can’t speak for if the green apple smells mysterious or not lol, but it smells identical to a green apple Jolly Rancher. I would happily use it all year.

Afternoon Apple Picking: All of the apple!!! Whenever fall rolls around, I have to get my Afternoon Apple Picking fix. It is truly the perfect fall scent and captures the essence of a crisp fall day at the apple orchard. This fragrance features notes of “crisp apple, succulent pear, and cinnamon”. Normally, I am not a cinnamon fan at all. However, it blends beautifully altogether and I think it smells like a steaming cup of hot apple cider.

Vampire Blood: Whenever spooky season is nigh, I always have to purchase my favorite scent of Vampire Blood. B&BW brings Vampire Blood back every year and I am so glad they do. It is a deep berry fragrance with notes of “red berries, blooming jasmine, and petrifying plum”. If you are a fan of berry scents, this is a must buy. The packaging for it is also so cute this year!

Sweet As Sugar: Holy moly – Sweet As Sugar smells good enough to eat!! The fragrance notes are equally as mouthwatering and feature “crumbled crust, gooey brown sugar, and sprinkled cinnamon”. I think it smells like caramel hot chocolate and it is divine. I would absolutely buy it again.

Hand Sanitizers: I selected Champagne Apple & Honey (Shocker!) and Cozy Vanilla Almond for my hand sanitizers. Both of these scents are completely straight forward. If you like apples or vanilla, you will like these fragrances without a doubt.

Wallflower: For my free wallflower, I went with Caramel Pumpkin Swirl. I am not big on pumpkin scents, but that doesn’t really matter because it doesn’t smell like pumpkin at all. This wallflower smells like straight up caramel. It is rich, decadent, and is basically like you’re unwrapping a Werther’s Original. Yum!

I am very pleased with my Bath & Body Works Haul and you can’t beat the price. I got all of these goodies for twenty-five dollars. Total steal!

What is your favorite fall scent? What is your favorite Bath & Body Works fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun25

Candle Corner

Posted on June 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have had a banner birthday month and have been enjoying all of the spoils from my big day. In fact, this past weekend I went on an online shopathon with the gift cards that I received and that was a blast. There is nothing better than some guilt free hauls… But, then again, when have I ever suffered from buyer’s remorse after any purchases?! Lol, the answer is never! Another thing I did this weekend was set up my Candle Corner with gifts from my two besties. While I love candles, I never buy them for myself so they are always the perfect gift. It was so nice to cozy up on the couch with Degrassi and these fabulously spooky flames:

My darling Gemini Twin, Kate of Live In The Nautical, and my BFF since freshman year of high school, Lea, always know exactly what to get for yours truly. Among other amazingly thoughtful gifts, Lea got me my middle finger candle and Kate gifted me with the skull and You A Spooky Bitch candles from a Halloween gift set. Needless to say, I am obsessed! Candles are great, yes, but they are even better when they are themed around my happiest time of the year. And, of course, they match beautifully with mine and Johnny’s Halloween all year round home decor. 😀

Like I said, I never go out of my way to buy candles for myself. That extra cash goes right into my shoe fund lol. However, I think I can dip into that fund for a few candles after this past weekend because I am going to be sad when my gifts burn out! I had a super lazy weekend and it was so soothing to just be able to veg out with my flickering flames around me. It is a rarity for me to even have candles to burn and it felt like such a luxury. I liked it very much and it set the ideal atmosphere to snuggle up with my favorite teen drama and chill after a long work week. Restocking my candle corner soon appears to be a resounding absolute must!

A middle finger, a skull, and a spooky bitch candle – who could ask for anything more?! I loved being able to use my birthday prezzies this weekend and my candles took the cake!

Where is your favorite place to buy candles? What is your favorite scent for candles? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov7

More Halloween Pics

Posted on November 7, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Johnny and I had so much fun on Halloween and this has been my favorite spooky season celebration we have had yet. I loved my costume, we watched all of the scary movies, and enjoyed a bonfire while we passed out Trick or Treat candy with my family. Normally, it’s like pulling teeth to get Johnny to take a “nice” picture with me. (He has a knack for subtly flipping the bird in most of our pictures lol SMH!) On Trick or Treat night, however, he was ready for his close up and willingly took these shots with me. I think he rocked it!

It is a joy to celebrate any holiday with Johnny, but Halloween just hits different. It’s not a season – it’s a state of mind and while we keep it spooky year round, Halloween weekend is like our Christmas Day. Johnny and I were so excited to get dressed up and jam packed our schedule full of activities. The best part was definitely helping out with Trick or Treat and we were thrilled that my family got involved in it too. We just love to spread that Halloween spirit and our bonfire was awesome. We had a powder to make the flames change colors and it looked amazing! 😀

Trick or Treat night was also great because Johnny finally took pictures with me. In fact, when I asked him if he would take “nice” pictures with me, he replied with “Of course I will. It’s Halloween!” Lol, he is so ridiculous but he was serving LOOKS in these shots. He was working his hodge podge vampire costume like nobody’s business and I was so proud. I have pictures of us together from every Halloween we have celebrated as a couple and I really treasure them. I think the pics we took this year was our best work yet. ❤

I didn’t have one piece of candy all of Halloween weekend because we ran out. But, I have countless happy memories from it and that’s good enough for me! ❤

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

Nov3

Racy Ringleader OOTD Bloopers

Posted on November 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Racy Ringleader OOTD! Last year, Johnny and I began a Halloween tradition of passing out Trick or Treat candy in my parents’ neighborhood. This is what we did on Saturday evening along with a bonfire and it was such fun. We saw a lot of great costumes throughout the evening, but I still say mine was the best lol. Sorry about it, kids!! These shots, however, were anything but the best so naturally let’s take a look:

Starring in a terrifyingly sexy opera

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loved my fake lashes but they made my eyes look closed in 99% of the pictures…

See what I mean?? Lol SMH

HI YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Waving up the first round of Trick or Treaters!

In case you haven’t noticed, Johnny and I love Halloween and we were simply thriving over the weekend. We enjoyed ourselves so much for our dinner and movie date with our bestie on Friday, but Trick or Treat night just hits differently. The entire evening was spent sitting around a raging fire with my parents and brother, laughing and listing off all of our favorite costumes that we had seen. It was so nice to see them get into the Halloween spirit with us and share in our joy of the happiest holiday of all.

We had an insane amount of Trick or Treaters visit us and we actually ran out of candy before the event was over. In that time, we saw so many funny and adorable costumes. I think we all agreed on a kiddo specifically dressed as “Rocky III” and carrying a speaker that played “The Eye of The Tiger” as being the winner. Honorable mention goes to a kid dressed up as a “guy in a suit”, a lil baby as a Starbucks Frappachino, and an undead mermaid. All of the kids rocked it, though, and it warmed my cold, bitter heart to see everyone in the neighborhood having a blast!

This has been one of mine and Johnny’s best Halloweens yet and I wish it never ended. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t stoked about Thanksgiving food, though! 😀

What was your favorite Halloween costume you saw? What is your favorite candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	Simon on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	lifewithlilred on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	Simon on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	lifewithlilred on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD
	Chantel Keona on V-Day Bratz Doll OOTD