Tag Archives: happy

She Sells Seashells

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She Sells Seashells

Hello!!! I work as an Independent Provider for people with special needs and specialize in community inclusion and daily living skills. I have worked in the field for almost a decade and all of my clients new and old will always hold a very special place in my heart. It is the best job in the whole world and I am so thankful to have assisted so many amazing families. It means so much to be trusted to provide quality care and I deliver nothing less every day at work.

Whenever I can’t see my clients due to vacations or days off, I miss them terribly! My days feel so off without my normal shifts and all smiles and I couldn’t wait for one of my clients to return from a family vaca. I know for a fact this young man was missing me too because he collected seashells on the beach just for me and proudly presented them when I saw him again:

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When I was given my seashells, I seriously almost cried. I was SO touched that my client took the time out of his vacation to search for shells that he thought I would like. He was completely right, because I LOVE them. He told me that they have to drive to the beach next time because all of the shells that he wanted to bring me wouldn’t fit on the plane! I cannot wait to find a pretty jar to house my shells in and display it on my knick knack shelves so I can see them and smile every day. ❤

Between three jobs, I am a busy lady. However, I will never be too busy to see my clients; I simply could not imagine my life without any of them! It brings me such great joy to teach new things when I am at work, but every day, I am the one who learns something new. My seashells will serve as a reminder to always be thoughtful, generous, and kind – just like the dear young man who gave them to me. I am the lucky one to even know him and feel proud to continue to grow as people together!

As the weather in Ohio remains awful, I will be on the beach in the sunshine every time I see my seashells. Always turn your face towards the sun and have the best day, darling friends!

Where is your dream vacation location? Who has seashells on display in their home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

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2023 All About Me

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2023 All About Me

Hello!! Your favorite Lil Red blogger has had a very busy past few months. Between bunny parenthood, new jobs, and the kerfuffle of daily life, I am ready for a little break any time now! It has been a while since we have had an updated All About Me post and I figured no better time than the present to talk a bit more in depth about everything happening in Lil Red’s world. Let’s get to it:

Bunny Babies:

Johnny and I have had our Lionhead bunnies, Mel and Penelope, for over four months now and they are thriving! In fact, I would say that they are fully settled to their new lives with us. Melvin is as adventurous as ever and loves to evade his dad by getting under the couch and exploring the non bunny proofed area while he plays video games lol. He is never too quick for his dear old mom, though! Melvin is not quite a year old yet and he is also never too old for an evening cuddle with me. It’s so sweet! ❤

Penelope took a decent amount of time to get acclimated to her new setting and I think that we are finally there. Her favorite activities are eating leafy greens from my hand and chilling out in her go to spot behind the hutch. Pen and Mel both also really enjoy being brushed, which is great as they are long haired and shedding season has been nuts! I was very proud of Penelope because this past week, she explored a few stairs for the first time but was scared to go down. She let me know of her distress by making some noise and allowed me to pick her up and take her back to the floor. Pen still isn’t the biggest fan of Johnny, but she sure loves her mom! 😀

New Job, No Prob:

I have a very entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy both my work as a provider for people with special needs and a writer so much. In the new year, I was really hoping to take my writing work to the next level and that happened on January third. I am currently managing a plethora of social media pages and building websites and businesses with my new boss and it is awesome! Between three jobs, it can be a bit stressful during the work week but I make it work. I am learning so many new things and being able to work from home a lot and hang out with Mel and Pen is such a joy. Eventually, I will decrease my work out in the field but, for now, I am just loving the experience!

Accomplishing Goals:

One of my other goals for the new year was creating a lot more OOTD content for lifewithlilred and I have been very dedicated to it. My sweet blog husband is also most helpful in that regard too! During the work week, I am rarely in the general public and put minimal effort into outfits and makeup. Saturday, however, is a totally different story! On Saturday afternoons, Johnny and I go on an outing for a lunch date, errands, or a visit at his or my parents and end up taking OOTD pictures some time in between. Johnny is always so accommodating and Saturday has definitely become our designated picture day. This setup has worked wonderfully and I look forward to our date days every week. ❤

Birthday Extravaganza:

Starting on March 7th and ending on June 7th, Johnny and I have lots to celebrate. In three months, there are seven birthdays in my family and mine and Johnny’s second wedding anniversary. I love this time of the year because I LOVE shopping for birthday presents and taking part in someone’s special day. I am also very excited for mine and Johnny’s second birthaversary jubilee and cannot wait to put together another get together to celebrate our birthdays and anniversary in one mega event!

Nothing Too Exciting:

As I have been working three very involved jobs for the past three months and Johnny is in a constant state of tired from his demanding job, we haven’t been doing much of anything. Part of it is the weather and part of it is exhaustion! That’s okay, though, because we rally around this time of the year when the sun starts setting later. We might not do anything during the work week but we do end up staying up later than our normal seven PM bedtime and that’s good enough for me. We are thinking of doing a few weekend trips this summer and it will be so nice to have a getaway of our own considering we haven’t even had a honeymoon yet. All in good time!

As busy as these past few months have been, I will never be too busy to post daily on lifewithlilred or get my nails done. Peep those tomorrow and keep it posted for all of the latest and greatest! ❤

What is new in your world? Is anything exciting coming up for you soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Post V-Day Sweetness

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Post V-Day Sweetness

Hello! Johnny and I went to see Hadestown at Playhouse Square as our main Valentine’s Day event and had the best time! We still listen to the soundtrack basically every day and it has been playing on a constant loop in our heads since the show. Prior to going to the theater, mine and Johnny’s dinner plans got sidetracked and he felt so bad that I barely ate at the restaurant we went to. In my defense, the food wasn’t good at all lol and I told him I didn’t want anything else for Valentine’s Day. Of course, Johnny didn’t listen!

Last week, he ordered a DVD of the NBC live taping of Jesus Christ Superstar just for me. Well, actually it might have been more for him since Alice Cooper played King Herod! But I digress. Jesus Christ Superstar is my all time favorite musical and we saw it last year at Playhouse Square for our Valentine’s Day date. Several years ago, I was so stoked that NBC was going to do a live taping for Easter and very much enjoyed the production. However, I haven’t seen it since it aired on TV. So, needless to say, I flipped my shit when he gave me my part two gift.

This past Saturday, Johnny and I DoorDashed some dinner and watched the DVD together for an at home date night and it was a blast. My heart simply exploded over the fact that Johnny was singing along to the lyrics with me when I had to damn near beg him to watch the original film with me when we first started dating! It was fun to compare and contrast the Playhouse Square show to the live taping and it was the cutest thing to hear Johnny deem production decisions as a “good choice”. Lol, he’s turning into a theater nerd just like his old ball and chain! ❤

The Post V-Day Sweetness didn’t end after our viewing of JCSS because we also had company over that night. Me, Johnny, and our bestie, Cliff, have become obsessed with Saturday night wrestling purely for shits and gigs. It has now become a weekend tradition and we couldn’t wait for the cage match event. When I saw Cliff prior to Valentine’s Day, I jokingly told him and Johnny that I expected chocolate from each of them. I didn’t expect Cliff to take me seriously in the slightest and he presented me with this:

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Apparently, Cliff was running errands and saw a Red box of chocolates and couldn’t not get it for me! Cliff is one of the kindest people that I have ever met and he is so thoughtful. Like me, he is constantly storing away gift ideas and when I said I wanted chocolate even as a joke, he took note. Cliff has been Johnny’s best friend since kindergarten and it really touches me whenever he thinks about me for a gift giving occasion too!

I spent Saturday evening being spoiled by my two best guys and I feel so lucky to have had not one but two Valentine’s Day celebrations. Here’s to many more and all of the Saturday night wrestling!

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? How do you like to spoil your friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Chocolate Making Fun

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Chocolate Making Fun

Hello!! Last Thursday, I spent what felt like my first free-ish afternoon in forever making homemade chocolate with my mother-in-law. It was SO much fun! Johnny’s mom is amazing at making chocolate and used to have her own small candy business with a friend. We made Christmas chocolates together a few years ago and had plans to do the same this past holiday season. Unfortunately, both of Johnny’s parents came down with a nasty bout of the flu so we opted for Valentine’s Day candy, instead. Take a look at some of my chocolate creations:

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When I got to my in-laws after a short shift, Johnny’s mom had all of our supplies ready to go. The chocolate wafers were melting, paintbrushes of every size were procured, and a crazy amount of V-Day molds were in place to make confectionery magic. It had been a while since I tried my hand at making chocolate and, I admit, I was a bit nervous that I had lost my touch. However, I forgot just how easy making chocolate actually is and quickly picked up where we left off the last time.

To start, I decided to make some lollipops while my MIL made salted caramel hearts filled with caramel that I can’t freaking wait to try!! I began with the smaller molds that had the “Love” and heart details. I painted in the small parts of the mold with a tiny brush and colored chocolate, then let it harden in the fridge for a minute or two. Afterwards, all that was left was to add the stick, fill the remainder of the mold with melted chocolate, and stick it back in the fridge. And voila! Once it hardens, you have a handmade chocolate sucker. 😀

I had so much fun with the lollies that I wanted to make more and did the big hearts with roses next. Then, Johnny’s mom suggested that I make the chocolate boxes so we could fill them with little chocolate hearts. While I painted the lids, my MIL made tons of itty bitty hearts to make what I think of as a chocolate treasure chest. I am so excited to give my niece one for a Valentine’s Day surprise!

Although I had free time that afternoon, I was still on a bit of a time crunch and we concluded our time together by making pretzel rods. This was pretty tedious because the molds were quite intricate and required a lot of painting. I just know they are going to turn out adorable, though, with painted on white, light pink, hot pink, and red hearts. I love everything about making chocolate but I can live without waiting until seeing the end result lol.

I had such a blast with my mother-in-law and we already have our sights set on an Easter candy making session. I am even bringing my niece, Val Gal, to join in and I am so looking forward to it! ❤

Have you ever made chocolate before? What is your favorite kind of candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oven Pizza Success!!!!

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Oven Pizza Success!!!!

Hello!! At chez moi, my refrigerator and cupboards were almost completely bare and a curbside order was most definitely in order. When picking up groceries, I always schedule it for when Johnny is getting home from work. Then, he brings the groceries in and I put them away. Our process runs like a fine tuned machine! This past time, however, my day finished earlier than expected so I got my order ahead of time and carried the entire haul up to our second floor apartment and put it away all by my lonesome. After all of that hard work, the last thing I felt like was cooking! But, hey – that’s what oven pizzas are for amiright? And, after the massive failure of the last Red Baron pizza we tried, things really turned around with this pie:

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Lol, I know that I said yesterday that lifewithlilred is not going to become a pizza review blog and I still stand by that… After this post! I just had to share this GREAT SUCCESS with all of you. 🙂 Have you ever noticed how even the simplest meals can taste amazing if you are hungry or tired enough? Because that was definitely where I was at when digging into the Red Baron Brick Oven cheese pizza and it was so satisfying both on an emotional level and in the taste department.

The crust of this pizza was way thinner than the previous Red Baron catastrophe and it was a welcome change of pace. The sauce was sweet, the cheese was poured with a heavy hand, and it was the friggen bomb. Johnny and I have had this pizza several times before but I never appreciated its majesty so fully and completely until now. Was I dog tired and hadn’t ate since breakfast? Yes. Did this affect the way the pizza tasted? Probably. Am I going to buy it again to experience it through fresh eyes? Abso-freaking-lutely!

In my youth, my dad was the king of oven pizzas and fostered my love of mine and Johnny’s go to lazy day meal as an adult. With friends like the Red Baron and Digiorno, who needs enemies? Or however that saying goes!

How often do you grocery shop? What do you make when you don’t feel like cooking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bunny Baby Angels

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Bunny Baby Angels

Hello! Johnny and I have had our bunny baby angels, Mel and Penelope, for over five weeks now! They are settling into their routine so nicely and it’s impossible to think of life without them. I have wanted pet rabbits for SO long and it is, honestly, everything that I wanted it to be and MORE. Both rabbits are so sweet and special in their own ways and as soon as I leave for work, I can’t wait to get home and see them again… And Johnny lol. ❤

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Prior to bringing Mel and Penelope home, Johnny and I did a lot of research to make sure we were going to be able to provide above and beyond care for them. There are some things, however, that you just won’t know until you bring them home. For example, the litter box was giving us a lot of grief. Both rabbits were semi litter trained before we got them and Mel was doing pretty good with using theirs once they were home. Penelope, on the other hand, was a totally different story and went anywhere in the litter box area but the box. *Face palm*

Thanks to reading lots of tips from The Bunny Lady, trial and error, and a ginormous litter box from Chewy, I am so happy that within days Penelope figured it out. With that final obstacle out of the way, they are both now fully litter trained and have never had an accident when we let them explore the bunny proofed area in our apartment (All compliments of Johnny’s handiwork!). It sounds a bit silly but oh my goodness was I proud. 😀

Depending on the day, I provide most of the general maintenance care and play time for our mother and son duo. Johnny definitely falls under the category of the Cool Dad! Whenever I’m not home and he takes them out after work, he always plays the banjo for his rabbit audience and it’s so cute to me. He went into our bunny parenthood with sheer ambivalence at best and has transformed beautifully into a full on bunny dad!

Johnny and I are a family of four and I am beyond happy. If you have the means, space, and time for a pet and have wanted one for a while, my advice is: GET IT. You will be kicking yourself in the butt when you realize you should have done it forever ago!

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

Updated All About Me

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Updated All About Me

Hello! In September, lifewithlilred celebrated its eight year blogiversary, so I figured it was high time to do an Updated All About Me post. So much has changed since I started my page as a twenty year old college kid – a husband, nieces and a nephew, and becoming bunny parents! Although I can’t say I’m thrilled to be approaching thirty in barely two years, it has been amazing to measure the time here on lifewithlilred. If you are just tuning in or have been a long term reader, here are some fun facts/updates about yours truly:

  1. After wanting bunnies for forever, I finally have them: I have always thought that having pet bunnies would be the best thing since sliced bread and it really is! Johnny and I are so obsessed with Penelope and Mel (a mother and son duo) and we have barely had them for over two weeks! Of course, we love their names but they have plenty of nicknames as well. Because, let’s be real, are you really a pet parent if you aren’t calling your pets anything but their real names? 😀

You can catch me calling Penelope:

  • Mama
  • Miss mama
  • Miss lady
  • Mama’s girl
  • Missy miss

Melvin’s nicknames include:

  • Mr. Melvin
  • Mister mister
  • Mister man
  • Mama’s little man
  • Tiny wanderer

2. Johnny and I are the “cool” aunt and uncle: Whenever Johnny and I are asked if we are going to be giving our parents grandchildren, we reply that the best we can do is grandbunnies lol. However, we LOVE being the cool aunt and uncle to our nieces and nephew, Valerie, Raya, and Patrick. They are the sweetest little humans and we revel in treat days when we can spoil them rotten. The best part? When the fun is over, we can give them back!

3. Married life rules: Johnny and I have been together for over three years and have been married for one of them. It’s actually literally no different than when we were dating but it’s still awesome because it was awesome when we were dating lol. The best part is definitely the novelty of saying “husband” and “wife” and I don’t think that it will ever get old. ❤

4. A new-ish apartment: Johnny and I moved into a new apartment in May that is much bigger than our old one but still in the same community we were already living in. Compared to our old place, this one feels like a luxury resort and I still can’t believe it sometimes! Having windows that actually open, a functional air conditioning unit, and better heating is so fantastic that it’s crazy to think about the pure discomfort we were living in before. The best part, however, is having two bathrooms – one on the upstairs floor and one downstairs. This makes me feel like queen of the castle when I don’t have to stumble my way downstairs to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. GREAT SUCCESS.

5. The Lil Red lifestyle hasn’t changed: lifewithlilred started out as a place for me to express myself, make some friends, and have fun and that hasn’t changed at all. I wanted to create a space to celebrate uniqueness because it’s safe to say that I’m pretty unique when you look at me! The Lil Red lifestyle is all about being true to yourself and living life in a way that makes you happy. I have tried to embody this since the start of lifewithlilred and am proud to say that I’m still holding to that eight years later.

6. Best jobs ever: When I am not doing freelance writing, I work with people with special needs and it is simply the best. I have been in the field for close to eight years and have been an Independent Provider for almost five of them. Every day, my clients teach me something new and it is such a joy to be an important part of their lives. Having a job where you feel genuinely happy at every day is a blessing that I don’t take lightly and I pay homage to that by being my best self daily for each person I care for.

7. Still a Diet Coke fiend: Diet Coke has always been my all time favorite drink and that has yet to change! Since being with Johnny, I have learned the joys of the Diet Coke from McDonald’s because, surprisingly, I have never had it until a year or so ago. Now, it is such a treat when I can get a real CRISPY DC from Mickey D’s and it’s a wonderful change of pace from the canned Diets that I am constantly guzzling lol. #blessed

While some things in my life have changed drastically, I am still the fun loving, goofy Lil Red that you met eight years ago. Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this crazy ride and here’s to eight more years of lifewithlilred! Although in eight years, I might have to change my page’s name to lifewithmiddleagedred… We’ll see what happens! -_-

What are some cool updates in your life? What are some fun facts about you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pet Parent Lyfe

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Pet Parent Lyfe

Hello! It has been one week since Johnny and I brought home our sweet lionhead bunnies, Penelope and Mel, and pet parent lyfe has been treating us fantastically so far. When it was just me and my husband at home, our apartment felt complete. However, now that we have two little fur babies scampering around, our apartment feels so much fuller and a whole lot more adorable:

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Johnny and I both grew up in animal loving households and our families always had pet dogs. I also had a guinea pig and parakeets way back when too. We have been without a pet of our own for several years and I think we were both taken aback by how awesome it has been since the bunnies have been home. Johnny and I both marvel at the fact that we have these little babies greeting us when we wake up in the morning and come home from work. It is also a hoot to hear them running around at night when we are trying to sleep. I have fallen into the habit of saying “settle down, kids” every time it’s bedtime and they are playing away!

The best part of our days now that we have Penelope and Mel is, easily, when we take them out of their hutch, which we do several times throughout the day. Whether it’s just to give them a cuddle or have them frolic in their playpen, it is so nice to have these tangible little bitties that depend on us. Johnny is also very pleased that he now has an audience whenever he plays the banjo! While Miss Penelope is super chill, Mel is constantly on the go and has a love for nibbling on anything and everything – including mine and Johnny’s booties when we’re in the playpen lol… he crazy. 😀

Every morning, I wake up genuinely excited to rush downstairs and begin their morning care routine. This includes fresh water, food, veggies, bedding, and a quick jaunt in the playpen before I leave for work. Johnny, on the other hand, is always eager to get home to our lil buddies in the early afternoon and takes them out immediately to play. Then, when I get home a little later, we have them out for the evening. It is an absolute blast!

With all of the stress and craziness currently happening for me, it is so comforting to have Penelope and Mel. We both can’t picture our apartment without them and it has only been one short week. Pet Parent Lyfe is suiting us very well, indeed, and Penelope and Mel are already more loved than words can say! ❤

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

Hip Hop Hurray!

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Hip Hop Hurray!

Hello!! I have wanted pet bunnies for pretty much forever now and it just never worked out. My old apartment was small and that was before Johnny even moved in! Then, it was doubly cramped and the temperature was difficult to control. It was always either way too hot or way too cold, which was so uncomfortable for us let alone a pet.

Moving into our new apartment was a huge upgrade for Johnny and I. We have plenty of space, a functioning air conditioning unit, and windows that open. We are very well settled and happy and now seemed like the perfect time to finally welcome some bunnies into our home. So… we are! Meet Penelope (brown and white) and Mel Kenda (black and white):

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For the past month, I have been scouring PetFinder nonstop to find a pair of small rabbits. This was counterproductive because I didn’t even have any supplies or a hutch lol. After a while, I felt like I was just spinning my wheels and then my brother-in-law tagged me in a post on Facebook. His neighbor was looking for someone to adopt lionhead bunnies from a surprise litter after her and her partner adopted a rabbit from an auction that they didn’t know was pregnant.

My bunnies’ current parents are so wonderful and have been working diligently to get each rabbit spayed, neutered, and adopted to a good home. And, one of the homes is mine! The stars definitely aligned and within a day, I had a date to pick my new babies up and endless orders from Amazon and Chewy on the way. Johnny and I are just waiting on the hutch to arrive – I can’t wait!!

Also, can we just talk about how fantastic Chewy is really quick? The litter pan that I ordered was way too big and when I contacted their customer service they refunded my money, waived shipping for a smaller pan, and told me to donate the other one to an animal shelter. The new one arrived the same day and this interaction alone makes me a loyal customer. Highly recommend!

I am beyond thrilled to finally have rabbits of my own after daydreaming about it for so long. Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred to officially meet Penelope and Mel soon!

Have you had pet rabbits before? Do you have any advice for me? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Boosted Up!

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Boosted Up!

Hello! This past Tuesday, I got my updated Moderna booster and flu shot in tandem. While I am SO happy to have received both to continue to do my part in keeping others safe, I will say that it was about a bitch lol. I reacted pretty poorly to both the second vaccine and the first booster so I’m not sure why I expected this one to be any different. I’m also not sure why I scheduled it smack dab in the middle of the work week SMH!

For about three days, I experienced a lot of fatigue, aching joints, and soreness at the injection site. It honestly felt like someone took a hammer to all of my joints, especially around my pelvic area. Not only did I deal with the aches and pains but, come evening time, I had the chills. Then, it would transform into a fever and I would sweat all night in my sleep. I have hair dye all over my pillows and sheets to prove it. Double SMH!!!!

When Johnny and I got our second vaccine, he had to keep reminding me that this was better than having Covid and I had to keep reminding myself of that this time around. While that’s easier said than done, it would do everyone well to think of it this way. After having a rough go of it post vaccine, I could not even comprehend having unvaccinated Covid. In fact, when Johnny and I did finally get it this past Christmas, we experienced no symptoms whatsoever because of our vaccines and boosters.

I have read several articles where the side effects from the boosters and vaccines are a huge deterrent from getting them. And coming from someone who has had such bad reactions, I truly get it. However, I’ll continue on with every additional installment because it’s important to do so. Johnny and I have so many high risk people that we love and we are terrified of getting them or complete strangers sick. This alone makes every two or three days of feeling downright awful worth it every time.

As the weather gets colder and gatherings move indoors, it is so important to get yourself vaccinated and boosted as well as following Covid protocols. If you are worried about it, you can take some comfort in the fact that you more than likely won’t experience as horrible side effects as yours truly. Let’s all continue to do our part to keep ourselves and others safe!

How did you react to your Covid vaccines and boosters? Are you team Moderna or Pfizer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah