Tag Archives: happy

Jul24

Harry Potter Great Hall LEGO Set

Posted on July 24, 2020 by lifewithlilred

Hello! While in quarantine, Johnny and I have been enjoying putting together LEGO sets including ones from Harry Potter and Star Wars. Johnny bought me the Hogwarts Clock Tower set for my birthday and we had such fun assembling it that I went ahead and bought the Great Hall set a few weeks later. Although the bigger sets are a bit pricey, they are worth every penny in the hours of entertainment that Johnny and I get out of them.

We stretched the Great Hall set out over the course of a weekend while Harry Potter movies, Impractical Jokers, or The Office played on TV. After at least five solid hours of building our Great Hall was finally complete. The best part? Attaching it to the Clock Tower, of course! Check it out:

While the Clock Tower set is specifically from the Yule Ball scene in The Goblet Of Fire, our Great Hall set combines imagery from both the first and second films. Don’t believe me? We have Professor Quirrell and the basilisk to prove it! Our sets are, technically, not the most cohesive right now but our two sets combined look AWESOME… From the outside, at least.

In comparison to the Clock Tower set, the Great Hall had a lot more pieces which made it a much more intricate and time consuming build. All the while, it was insanely hot in our apartment so spreading it out over a few days was definitely the move. As always, Johnny and I have a great system when it comes to our LEGO construction. He takes care of all of the detail work, which is impossible for me to do with my nails. I, on the other hand, handle a lot of the big pieces and everyone wins!

Johnny and I like to buy a new LEGO set every few months and I am already looking forward to my next Harry Potter purchases. What’s on deck? For starters, the Whomping Willow set! Then, I would love to add the Astronomy Tower, Hagrid’s Hut, and the Quidditch Pitch. Hey, it’s Harry Potter so I have to dream big! 🙂

What has been keeping you entertained in quarantine? Who else enjoys building with LEGO? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul18

Harry Potter Hang Out

Posted on July 18, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Sunday is normally my and Johnny’s lazy day where we indulge in a movie or TV marathon. It could be anything from binge watching the same show all day, experimenting with something new, or revisiting old favorites. For example, this past Sunday, Johnny and I had a Harry Potter marathon and watched The Chamber Of Secrets, The Prisoner Of Azkaban, and The Goblet Of Fire.

Of course, Johnny fell asleep immediately when we started Chamber Of Secrets and that gave me the opportunity to reflect on how much I friggen LOVE Harry Potter. All I can think about whenever watching the movies for the millionth time is how cool it was to essentially grow up with the cast. I also always reminisce on all of the fun my family had when we vacationed to Orlando, Florida and got to experience The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. (Take me back, PLEASE!)

It’s so special to think back to all of the Harry Potter midnight showings I’ve attended, reading the books for the first time, and then reading them one hundred times more. There is nothing better than immersing yourself in something magical when there is so much craziness going on in our world and Sunday felt like such a treat for that reason.

All of Sunday, I got to peek into the fantastic and mysterious wizarding world and it was a relief to “be” somewhere different for the day. Granted, I won’t be making anything levitate or be able to unlock my apartment door just by uttering a simple charm. But, my mind was occupied and totally entertained all day and that is the next best thing when you’re in quarantine!

What is your favorite book series? How about your favorite movie series? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul15

At Home Concerts

Posted on July 15, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! For those of you who don’t know, my “big girl job” is as an independent provider for people with special needs. I specialize in community integration and the development of daily living skills and have been an “essential” employee throughout the coronavirus pandemic. So, you can imagine how hard it is to do my job of getting my clients out and about in the community when there is a contagious virus and many of them are high risk.

My job has now been limited to the homes of my clients and that is A-okay because it’s what is best for them, their families, and myself. But, that’s not to say it hasn’t been easy, especially when cabin fever is kicking in for everyone. I am constantly trying to come up with fun ways to keep my clients entertained at home to combat the boredom blues and was particularly pleased with my brain blast last week.

My most senior client who I am with the most often during the week LOVES the golden oldies and always tells me about when he saw The Beach Boys and Sha Na Na in concert. After his recollection last week, he asked when we can see those bands live together. I told him as soon as it was safe, as always, and then I realized we kind of could see them in concert.

I told him I had an idea and pulled YouTube up on his TV. Then, I found some live footage of Sha Na Na performing as well as plenty of full length Beach Boys concerts. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his favorites performing right in front of him again. In fact, he was so elated that he told me to bring his brother up so he could see how much fun he was having. 🙂

My friend and I plan on having weekly “concerts” at home, compliments of YouTube. We have The Beach Boys on deck and who knows what will be next! It was amazing to see him so excited about something and, sometimes, the most fun things can happen right at home. ❤

Which bands have you seen in concert? Who would you love to see perform live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul4

A Friendly Reminder!

Posted on July 4, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hey everyone!! I recently went on a getaway staycation with my family in Lexington, Kentucky and, although the trip really just consisted of chilling, it was the most fun I’ve had in ages. I wanted to remind everyone that you can still have a great time despite taking extra precautions like face masks and social distancing. Especially since I can imagine we are all going a bit stir crazy right now!

During our trip, all of us stuck with what we were comfortable doing. If that was wearing a mask and going out, fine. If it was just hanging out at home in the air conditioning, that was okay too. It’s easy to feel trapped in this situation, which is why going out of state for a while felt like the perfect solution… Even if it was just to sit in a different living room and watch TV. 😀

Feeling stressed amidst the coronavirus pandemic? Try planning a small, safe getaway. Stay in a hotel for a night or rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere! Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the house or apartment you’ve been stuck in and experience a change of scenery. Keep your safety standards high and I promise you, it will make you feel like a brand new person. I know I do!

Are you planning a safe getaway any time soon? How do you destress during the coronavirus pandemic? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul3

Family Staycation

Posted on July 3, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Helloooo! This past week, Johnny and I drove to Lexington, Kentucky for a Mushenheim family vacation. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time and it certainly did not disappoint. Now, normally, you guys are used to hearing about a traditional Mushenheim family vaca with jam packed activities and amazing restaurants every day. However, we are in a very nontraditional time right now and precautions were taken to keep everyone safe during our trip.

We honestly didn’t do too much. We had some great carry out meals and visited a gorgeous horse farm where social distancing was easy. Everyone also came prepared with face masks and hand sanitizer for grocery store errands or an activity. Despite this being the most lax family vaca ever, it was AWESOME!

For four days, Johnny and I got to stay in a lovely house with central air and not a care in the world. But wait! It keeps getting better becauuuuse… For the first time in a very long time, my entire family was all together. We had four whole days of quality time with my parents, siblings, their partners, and our little niece and nephew.

Getting to Lexington was a five hour drive – a perfect amount for a getaway staycation. I so enjoyed the time shared with everyone and I know my parents were both happy as a clam the whole trip. It’s not every day all of their adult children, grandchildren, and children-in-laws can be together, after all! ❤

What is your dream vacation? What is your favorite thing about your own location? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Peachy Clean

Posted on July 1, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! These past few months of quarantine due to the coronavirus have been fairly stressful for yours truly. As an “essential” employee, I have been working this entire time and it can be a lot, especially when my clients don’t fully understand the extent of what’s going on. On the other hand, my boyfriend has been on furlough since late March and will be returning to work in early July.

There have been days when it feels nearly impossible to get myself ready for work when I know that Johnny is home. But, he has seriously been so amazing throughout this whole thing and I can’t imagine being confined to the apartment all day every day. We both have very different situations and are handling it the best way we know how. But, at this point, we kind of have it down to a science.

While I am at work, Johnny has been doing all of the household chores like the dishes, taking out the trash, and clearing out the clutter. And, on Wednesday evenings and Sunday, I take over the cleaning for the day. This past week, I had a particularly difficult time and Johnny texted me to let me know that I should look in the bathroom for a surprise when I got home.

Naturally, we had to have our immature exchange about a toilet catastrophe and when I was reassured it wasn’t that, I spent all day being curious about what was awaiting me in the throne room. As soon as I get home, I ran into the LOO and saw:

A CLEAN SINK! I have been going on about how I need to clean the bathroom for the past few weeks and have just been too drained to do so. Johnny then took it upon himself to take care of it for me. Is it clean enough to eat out of? No. But it is way better than before and I couldn’t think of a better bathroom surprise if I tried! 😀 ❤

How does your significant other like to surprise you? How do you two divide up the household chores? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

A Flower For Me

Posted on June 28, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! On Father’s Day, my sister and her daughter arrived at our parents’ house at the exact same time that I did. We didn’t plan it at all and it was perfect because we all had the maximum time together before we split back up for the day. Beautiful presents and lots of love were gifted to our dear old dad but I think I got the most special treat of all that day. Check it out:

After presents, we all took a pause and went to the backyard so my niece, Valerie, could move and groove before my sister took off. My dad loves to show Val his flower and vegetable garden and she loves it too. More often than not, you can see my dad smelling the flowers with her and then he will help her pick a bloom for her mom.

On Father’s Day, Val wanted a flower for each hand once she picked her favorite. Then, she toddled up to her auntie and handed me a flower with a big smile on her face. And, right at that moment, our Golden Retriever gobbled up the flower in the hand she wasn’t paying attention to. *Face palm*

Once Val realized her other flower was missing, I offered her mine to make up for it. But, she just kept handing it back to me. I have to say, I was really happy she did because there is literally nothing better than getting a pretty little flower from your fifteen month old niece. I brought it home with me and put it in my dried flower collection and it’s never not going to make me smile whenever I see it. ❤

How did you celebrate Father’s Day? How is your garden doing this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun26

New Hair, Who Dis?

Posted on June 26, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooo everyone! Now, we all know that “Life is better in red” but I found out that blondes do have more fun. Well, I’m having half more fun anyways! I have been hinting at a hair change for a while and I finally was able to get to the salon so my hair guru, Anna, could work her magic. I always thought that I would look really cute with yellowy blonde hair and my hunch was correct. Behold, the glory of my new “convertible” half red and half blonde hair:

Convertible hair is honestly the most accurate term for my new do because it is the most versatile style I have ever had. Literally any way I fix my hair in the morning could be a little or vastly different than how it was worn the day before. Hell, I could have a different hair style for every hour of the day! How cool is that?

To achieve the blonde half of my hair, Anna bleached it for an hour. I have never had my hair bleached before so we had no idea what was going to happen. And, of course, we both understand the importance of being safe than sorry. Thankfully, my bleached half still feels and looks very healthy!

After washing the bleach out, the toner was applied to give my hair the yellowy hue that I was after. The ultimate goal is a bright mustard yellow and I will be going back in a month to get that taken care of. I can’t wait! I plan on having Anna help keep me blonde until I am more educated about it but I will continue to dye the red part at home. There’s nothing better than a trip to the salon so even getting half of your hair dyed is a treat. 😀

I am so proud of myself for embracing a brand new style after the same old for what seemed like forever. My confidence is through the roof and I’m already thinking of what color I want to compliment my red next. I’m thinking pink! ❤

What is your favorite salon treatment to get? Have you recently embraced a new look? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun15

Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

Posted on June 15, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

Hello! June seventh was my twenty-sixth birthday and, in true Lil Red fashion, it has been drawn out a few days with individual hang outs with friends and family. I also end up celebrating with the families who I work with and have ended up becoming a part of in the past three years of doing my job. One of my client’s families always ends up super spoiling me and I received the following this past week:

As soon as I walked into work on Monday, “Happy Birthday” was sung and gifts were handed to me at an alarming rate. Each one I opened seemed to be more lovely than the next and “this is way too generous” was the catchphrase of the opening session. This was matched by each member of my work family assuring me that “you’re worth it” every single time.

Becoming a member of three different families wasn’t exactly what I was setting out to do when I began providing care for people with special needs. But, sometimes things just happen like that and, now, celebrations seem to happen constantly. Whether it be a holiday or a member of my “pseudo family’s” birthday, I am always a part of it and it feels good!

There is truly nothing better than walking into work Monday through Friday and stepping into a family environment. It has also been such a godsend during all of the craziness of COVID to have so many extra people to talk to! Work families are so important and I am so thankful for all of mine. ❤

Do you consider the people at your job a family? Are you an unofficial member of someone else’s fam? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun13

My 26th Birthday Celebration

Posted on June 13, 2020 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My 26th birthday was this past Sunday and, although quarantine kept me from celebrating a little more heavily, I got to spend such a wonderful time with my family on both days of the weekend. On Saturday night, Johnny and I had a pizza dinner with my mom, dad, and brother. We also returned on Sunday so I could see my sister and her daughter in a safe environment because there are currently beaucoup ant traps set up at my apartment right now… Not very baby friendly!

After a Sunday afternoon at my mom and dad’s, Johnny and I spent the rest of the day watching Public Enemy and Inglorious Bastards. He also humored me by watching an episode of America’s Next Top Model together. What a guy! It was, indeed, a low key birthday but sometimes those are the best kind. And, as much as I would like to turn up, it’s just not safe. So, a pizza night at my parents’ seems like a close second to me. 🙂

How did you celebrate your birthday this year? Do you have anything exciting coming up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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