Tag Archives: haul

Mar6

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on March 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! I can’t tell you all the last time that I actually shopped for hand soaps in store at Bath & Body Works. Once the pandemic began, I would just order them online and hope for the best that I would like the scents I selected. This past week, I had several coupons from B&BW and decided to restock my soap in person. I always get my sister a bunch of the hand soap for her birthday because she loves it too and I wanted to make sure she would like all of them. For thirteen hand soaps and two freebie products, I paid forty dollars and you just can’t beat that! Here is what I picked out:

Normally, we begin discussing hand soaps by stating if I would purchase the scent again. However, that was when I was shopping online and had no idea if I would like the scent. We can skip on that because I decided with my own nose that I liked each soap! We will also skip on talking about the classic scents of Warm Vanilla Sugar and Peach Bellini so we can talk more about each new fragrance. Let’s get to it:

Pink Peach Blossom: Peach is one of my all time favorite scents and even though I already had the Peach Bellini soap in my shopping bag, I had to get the Pink Peach Blossom too! The Pink Peach is soooo pretty and it combines the softer peach fragrance with bold mandarin and sweet magnolia. It is definitely more fruity than floral and I was happy about that as it’s what I prefer and this scent had the potential to go either way.

Pink Pineapple Sunrise: My Johnny subscribes to the island lifestyle despite his elder emo status so I always have to get a few tropical soaps for him. If you are a fan of pineapple, then you will love this scent because it is straight up pineapple. The fragrance notes include “palm sugar and sun-drenched nectar” but it is all pineapple lol. Not sure where the pink comes from, though!

Raspberry Tangerine: I rarely use the gel soaps from B&BW because I love the foaming. However, I had a coupon for a three dollar gel soap so I said “why not?”. While the formula isn’t my favorite, I do really like the scent. I am a huge fan of sweet/tart raspberry fragrance and the combination of tangerine and lemon is heavenly.

Some Bunny Loves You: As a bunny mom, I couldn’t pass up on the packaging for this soap! The scent is Pink Apple Punch and I am sensing a theme for the fragrance names; SO much pink! Apple is another one of my favorite fragrances and this is very much a springtime apple scent. Paired with melon, this soap is more sweet instead of tart, but it is still pretty nice – if nothing but for the picture alone!

Mango Papaya Paradise: This was another soap for Johnny to pretend he’s laying under a palm tree with and I like it a lot too! This scent is basically the Golden Mango Lagoon fragrance we discussed yesterday and it’s lovely. It smells like sunshine, a fresh cut tropical fruit salad, and the island breeze. Perfect for summertime!

I really enjoyed my little shopping trip to Bath & Body Works and I deeply appreciate the novelty of liking every hand soap scent I picked out. I think I will be shopping in store from now on!

Do you prefer foaming or gel hand soap? What is your favorite fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Bath & Body Works March Freebies

Posted on March 5, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Is it just me or have the Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail gotten so much better? This past week, I received a coupon packet for a free travel size item, a free full size item, and twenty-five percent off a purchase. They could not have come at a more perfect time because I needed to restock my hand soap supply (Peep that haul tomorrow!) and pick out a few prezzies for upcoming birthdays. In total, I got FIFTEEN items for just forty dollars and it was awesome! Take a look at the freebies that I selected, which totaled to almost twenty-four dollars in product:

For the longest time, a free travel size coupon from B&BW was limited to a lotion or shower gel because that was basically all that was available. However, this past year, B&BW upped their add on game considerably with mini fragrance sprays, hand creams, and bar soap. When I learned that these other items were up for grabs with a coupon, my mind was blown and I decided to go for a fragrance.

While I do have my tried and true full size sprays, I thought that it would be nice to change things up without committing to a scent in its entirety. B&BW recently released several new fragrance lines for spring and I chose the Golden Mango Lagoon. Normally, Johnny is a fan of the tropical scents and I prefer fruity and tart, but the Golden Mango was too nice to pass up. It seriously smells like a day at the beach and freshly sliced mango and it will be a perfect summertime fragrance. In fact, I liked it so much that I got a similarly scented hand soap too.

For my full size freebie, I opted for a shower gel because I recently purchased a few new lotions and will be set for a while. I was instantly drawn to the pretty robin’s egg blue and red packaging of Poppy and wasn’t expecting it to be a winner as I am not a floral girl. Poppy is so much more than just a floral scent, though, and combines the freshness of a spring day with pear, rhubarb, and wildflowers. This scent reminds me of airing your house out on the first warm day after winter and is subtle enough for it to make a great gift for anyone on your list… Or yourself!

The more I shop the deals at B&BW, the more impressed I am by the amazing value I am getting for my money. It turns even the most mundane thing of shopping for hand soaps into something exciting! Keep it posted tomorrow for the rest of my Bath & Body Works Haul!

Which store offers the best coupons or rewards program? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb6

TJMaxx Mini Haul

Posted on February 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Thanks to lots of Christmas gift cards to TJMaxx, I have been able to enjoy completely guilt free shopping trips for goodies and necessities. But let’s be honest, gift card or no – I never feel guilty when I’m getting my shop on lol! What is buyer’s remorse, anyways? This past week, I stopped into TJs because I needed a few trash cans and I was on the hunt for a new chapstick for my constantly chapped lips. I ended up walking away with all of the following for only thirty dollars:

The trash can situation for the bathrooms in my apartment was a unique one. We only had one bathroom at our old place and this might be TMI but I ended up ralphing in the trash can we had and threw it out. Rather than invest in a new one, I decided to repurpose the brown paper bags that Giant Eagle used to use to pack up curbside orders. We seriously had a ton and we brought our supply to our new apartment with two bathrooms. The brown paper bag trash can was working well when, suddenly, Giant Eagle quit using them and our collection quickly began to dwindle down. Buying new trash cans was finally in order and I got the two seen above for under twenty dollars. Johnny and I are officially living the high life. 😀

For skin care, I was mainly looking for a new chapstick and ended up walking away with a few extras. For my lip chap, I got the Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon balm and it is really nice! It definitely has a lot more oomph to it than the drugstore brand I’ve been using and it smells exactly like the watermelon Lip Smackers from back in the day as an added bonus. I also decided to give the lip mask by Dr. PawPaw a try partially because the brand name is hilarious and I also never say no to a product that has the potential to soften, smooth, and plump my pout!

Finally, I got an extra serum by Pearlessence to get my skin care hoard back to fully stocked status. I have used a few Pearlessence products before and like the brand well enough and went with their Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid serum. I have no idea what Ferulic Acid is but the sunset coloring of the serum was so pretty that I decided to go for it. Clearly, it doesn’t take much for me to give something my stamp of approval lol.

While this wasn’t the most exciting TJs Haul, I still got everything I needed and then some. I can’t wait to go back when their spring clothes finally hits the racks!

What is your favorite chapstick? What are essential ingredients in your skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on January 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I received SO many TJMaxx gift cards from my holiday haul and they have been burning a hole in my pocket! This past Tuesday, I had a fairly free afternoon so I decided to stop in TJs to look around. Due to the awkward time of the year, their clothing selection was abysmal. It was essentially all clearance items to clear the racks before the arrival of spring clothing and it left a whole lot to be desired. While the clearance clothes sucked, the Christmas clearance toys were awesome and I was able to buy all of my niece’s presents for her birthday in March. I also had some luck in the skin care department:

^^^ All of these products are cruelty free!

The Haul:

Clinical Works Soothing Body Lotion
New Balance socks
Evoluderm Micellar Water
Bellyssima Vitamin C moisturizer
Clear Beauty moisturizer
Tree Of Life Vitamin C serum
Provence Beauty eye cream

Whenever I have gift cards from TJMaxx, my first order of business is always to restock skin care because they are products that I will need to buy anyways. I actually just had a fairly recent skin care haul from TJs but that’s okay as I like to have a lot of items on back stock! I decided to buy the products that would set me up for another few months of my skin care routine and I am excited to try some new brands. While I have used Provence Beauty before, I have never used Clear Beauty or Bellyssima. I have only used products with collagen in it a handful of times so I’m a bit nervous that the Clear Beauty moisturizer might dry me out. However, at nearly thirty years old, the risk will be worth the reward to turn back the clock on my skin!

Of course, I had to buy my Evoluderm micellar water because it is a staple for my beauty routine. I was also surprised to see the Vitamin C serum by Tree Of Life on the shelves. There was a point when I was using Tree Of Life serums exclusively and I added it to my cart for some familiarity with so many new to me products. My final beauty purchase was a big bottle of lavender and chamomile scented lotion by Clinical Works. Although I love my Bath & Body Works lotions, it will be nice to have an option that will last longer and the calming scent will be perfect before bed.

Finally, I really needed new socks lol. I swear, every single pair I have has acquired a hole within the past few months and it is so annoying to walk around with that issue all day! To wrap up my haul, I got a New Balance multi-pack and I felt like such an adult. If you catch me out here feeling myself from now on, it’s because I’m strutting my stuff in hole free socks! 😀

What is your favorite skin care brand? What are must have ingredients in your skin care products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan21

Bath & Body Works Mini Haul

Posted on January 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! I have been running low on lotion in my beauty stockpile and have been looking forward to getting my next freebie coupon from Bath & Body Works in the mail. Unfortunately, the coupon I received this past week was for a free wallflower and not a travel size lotion! It was all good, though, because I use the wallflowers too so I stopped in B&BW after work to cash in my coupon. In store, I was so happy to see products marked down seventy-five percent and couldn’t pass up on such a great deal. I ended up getting all of the following for just ten dollars after an additional twenty percent off. GREAT SUCCESS!!

I have a love/hate relationship with the wallflowers from Bath & Body Works. I started getting them this past fall because I adored the Halloween plugins. At first, I was amazed by how good the wallflowers made my apartment smell. However, the scents seem to dissipate really quickly and within a few days, I turn completely noseblind to the fragrance. I, honestly, knew that the wallflowers were going to be a money trap as soon as I got them. Even though I receive free coupons fairly frequently for wallflowers, I have two plugins so I always end up having to buy another one!

I decided to go with the Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit and Raspberries & Whipped Vanilla for my wallflowers. With the dreary January weather, I thought something tropical would be a nice change of pace and the Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit is just right! While Johnny is a huge fan of tropical scents and flavors, I am not. I know we will both be able to agree on my wallflower choice, though! The Aloha Kiwi Passionfruit is bright and sunny without being overpowering. Softer notes of kiwi and passionfruit paired with zingy pineapple made for a pleasing scent that will have me feeling summery despite the crap weather.

My other wallflower selection was Raspberries & Whipped Vanilla, which I really liked. As you can tell from the lotion I purchased, I love the raspberry scents from B&BW. The Raspberries & Whipped Vanilla is such a classic sweet/tart fragrance combining bold raspberries and lemon with decadent strawberries and vanilla. I am actually pretty excited to use this one and it will be perfect for Valentine’s Day!

To conclude my mini haul, I bought two Sun-Ripened Raspberry body creams at just four dollars apiece. This is one of my favorite old school B&BW scents and I was bummed out that they didn’t have the fragrance spray and shower gel! Even though I already got a dose of raspberry with my wallflower, I needed more and I love that the Sun-Ripened Raspberry features a purely tart scent. The body creams from B&BW are so rich in texture and fragrance and I am really looking forward to using mine. 😀

You just can’t beat four Bath & Body Works products for ten bucks and I am very pleased with my mini haul. The seventy-five percent off items and throwback scents also have me daydreaming about the semi-annual sale already!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Where is your favorite place to shop for bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Chewy Haul

Posted on January 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! For Christmas, Johnny’s aunt gifted Mel and Penelope with a Chewy gift card for all of their supplies. It was so thoughtful! With the gift card, I was able to stock up on all of their necessities as well as some new toys and old favorites. As per usual, though, the bunnies are much more interested in playing with the Chewy boxes than anything else lol. Check out what these spoiled pets got as a late Christmas gift:

The Chewy gift card was, honestly, one of the best gifts of my holiday haul because all of the products seen above were things that were going to need to be bought anyways. While I did spend a little of my own money, the gift card covered almost everything and most of these purchases will last us until March, at least. If that seems quick to you, remember that two bunnies means double everything! Also their favorite activity is to dump their food dish out which is equal parts adorable and annoying lol.

The most important purchases from this haul were definitely their pellet food and bedding. The past four times I have placed an order with Chewy, their food has been unavailable. Then, once my order has been placed, I get an email saying their pellet food is back in stock *eye roll*. Since their food was available during this order, I decided to go big and get three bags to avoid this in the future. I also decided to get two bags of their bedding since I also use it to fill their litter boxes. The bunny litter that I was using was pricey AF and even if I have to change their litter bedding more often, it is still less expensive in the long run.

One final essential from this order was their Timothy hay and then it was onto the toys! The Kaytee Play n’ Chew hideout is one of their favorites and they love to destroy it. Thankfully, it takes them a while to do so and since they are still working on the one they have, this will serve as a backup. The Rosewood play and chew balls are also a Mel and Penelope fave and they can chew through the rope and thin wood ones in a matter of minutes. I also wanted to give them some new options like the Timothy hay lollipops and the hourglass and piece of cake chew toys. The hourglass has been hit or miss so far but they made quick work of one of the lollipops. 😀

Mel and Pen were cool with their mom spending their gift card for them and as far as I know, they are happy with what I picked out! And I am too. 😀

Where do you get your pet supplies from? What is your pet’s favorite toy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan5

Happy Haulidays: Sweet Boys Edition

Posted on January 5, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past weekend, I received the last of my Christmas gifts that came from Johnny’s best friend since childhood, Cliff. Coincidentally, we all went to the same grade school and Cliff’s family actually used to babysit me. Ever since Johnny and I began dating, Cliff has become my bestie too and his gift to me was the absolute sweetest. I also got an extra surprise from Johnny and our other darling boy, Ty, during our last game night. They sure know how to spoil me! Check it out:

^^^ The wrapping paper Cliff used is vintage from the 70s, which is so cool!

I couldn’t wait to open my gift from Cliff because both him and Johnny claimed that I was going to love it and, of course, wouldn’t give me any hints! As much as I appreciated the beautifully wrapped gift box, I tore it open and had to laugh when I saw what was inside: A hoodie from H&M. One time when Cliff came over several months ago, I put on his exact same hoodie but in grey because it was freezing. It was also so comfy that I just kind of “forgot” to give it back lol. He took this as a Christmas gift idea and ordered one just for me immediately after! I was so touched by how thoughtful it was and it is definitely one of my favorite gifts that I was given this Christmas. In fact, I am wearing it right now!

In case you haven’t noticed by my Instagram content, I freaking love Sam from Trick ‘R Treat. He is just so precious and adorable. 🙂 One of our musician pals, Ty, is well aware of this and surprised me with a Sam Funko Pop! Ty texted me a picture of the cutest Funko ever and asked if I had it already. I didn’t even know it existed! When he came over later that week for games and music and emerged in the front door with a gift in hand, I knew exactly what it was. Sam the Funko is now nestled in with the rest of the Pops in our growing collection. Don’t tell the others that he’s my fave, though. 😉

Finally, when Johnny had a few errands to run he returned home with a post Christmas gift for me. Yes, another Sam related piece of merchandise that is his deadly lollipop! Sadly, he thought he selected the unbroken one but they were actually all broke and he didn’t realize it lol. That’s no matter, though, because the lollipop is strictly for the knick knack shelf and not for human consumption! Broke or not, it makes a fine addition to our Halloween themed decor. ❤

I am, honestly, so flattered by my gifts from my best boyfriends. Both Cliff and Ty were Johnny’s friends for a long time and it warmed my heart that they thought about me at Christmas too. I feel so lucky for all of the love!!

Are you friends with your partner’s friends? What is one of the most thoughtful gifts you have received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Posted on December 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Hello! On Christmas Eve, Johnny and I celebrated with his wonderful parents and Aunt Elaine and it was a hoot! We had a delicious dinner, opened gifts, and continued on with the thirty year strong Miller family tradition of watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We spent a fantastic day together and it felt so warm and fuzzy – both from the family love and the fact that it was way warmer at Chez Miller than it was in mine and Johnny’s apartment! As always, Johnny’s family spoiled us rotten and we are so appreciative for their way too generous gifts. Check it out:

This is my third Miller Christmas and just when I thought that my second family couldn’t outdo themselves any more in their holiday game, they proved me wrong. Johnny and I were blown away by our gifts under the tree and in our stockings and our gifters truly know us too well. Three or so days before we celebrated, Johnny was so close to buying the Willie Nelson Chia Pet at Walgreen’s! I was really surprised that Johnny didn’t make the purchase and part of me thought he was holding off to make it a post Christmas treat. That’s one future errand to cross off the list. 😀

My favorite gift from this haul has to be the hilarious mug my father-in-law gifted to me. I haven’t been tempted yet to send Johnny off to the circus but this mug has certainly given me some ideas to think about. 😉 Johnny’s dad also gifted us with the spray fire extinguishers. He is the king of funny and practical gifts! And, can we talk about how adorable the Son’s Survival Kit is that Johnny’s mom got him as a stocking stuffer? I thought that it was so sweet and had to include it in this post even though it’s not mine. ❤

Aunt Elaine gifts me and Johnny with our absolute favorite chocolates from Boston every year. They are simply the best and we have been making very quick work of our Christmas candy selection! Candy is synonymous with Christmas at the Miller home. My mother-in-law makes amazing homemade chocolates that are seriously to die for. I actually have one of her huge homemade candy trays at my parents’ house that I can’t wait to dig into later today!

I am lucky enough to celebrate every holiday with two families that I love so much and this Christmas was a GREAT SUCCESS. I’m already excited for next year’s celebration! 😀

What kinds of gifts did you give this holiday season? What is your favorite gift that you received? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

Bath & Body Works Haul

Posted on December 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I moved into my very first apartment, I thought it was the coolest thing to be able to buy Bath & Body Works hand soap for my place. We never used them at my parents’ house so it was exciting to pick out scents just for me (Clearly I lead a thrilling life). They have been a staple in my home ever since my move in date and I always look forward to the next time Johnny and I need to restock our supply. With only one hand soap left in the cupboard, it was about that time! Check out my haul:

Would I Buy Again:

Peach Bellini: YES
The Apple Of My Eye: YES
Vanilla Bean Noel: YES!!!
Twisted Peppermint: YES
Winter Candy Apple: NO
Fresh Sparkling Snow: MAYBE
The full size lotion was free with my purchase!

With four scents that are a resounding rebuy and only two “mehs”, I’d say that this was a very successful haul. Even more so because I ordered these online! Granted, I did know some of the scents already but still lol. While the Peach Bellini will always be my A1 hand soap scent, the Vanilla Bean Noel was a close second this time around. I have used the vanilla before but I forgot how freaking good it smelled. Some vanilla scents can become sickly sweet with the add ins of “sugar cookie” or “frosting” and the Vanilla Bean Noel is just right. It smells purely like vanilla bean without any unnecessary additions and I cannot wait to use it!

The Apple Of My Eye and Twisted Peppermint are also scents that I would happily buy again. Sometimes, there will be a dud of a scent in my order because it smelled nothing like what I pictured in my mind. That was not the case at all with these two soaps and there were no surprises when I took a whiff. The Apple Of My Eye smells exactly like my favorite candy of caramel apple suckers and the Twisted Peppermint smelled like… Peppermint! What a shocker. 😀

The two scents that missed the mark for me was Winter Candy Apple and Fresh Sparkling Snow. I thought that I was going to love the Winter Candy Apple but in this instance, the apple scent did nothing for me. It’s very sweet with floral notes and is one of my least favorite scents from the holiday collection. Fresh Sparkling Snow was alright. Its scent was very light, which is to be expected. However, the combination of icy melon and pear was pretty lackluster. I would buy it again if it were on sale for the cheap but would skip on it otherwise.

Overall, I am really pleased with my Bath & Body Works Haul. My only regret is that the free lotion I picked out was in the only scent that I didn’t like. SMH!!!!!!!!

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

Dec20

Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

Posted on December 20, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My best friend, Lea, and I have celebrated fourteen Christmases together and we had our annual holiday hang out this past weekend. It was a hoot! I made us a big baked ziti dinner and our husbands had a man date playing banjo together while Lea and I girl talked the evening away. After almost a decade and a half of prezzies purchased, you would think that Lea and I would be fresh out of gift ideas. That’s far from the case for us, though, and Lea is one of my favorite people to shop for! As always, she knocked it out of the park for me too. Check it out:

Until a week or so ago, I never appreciated the joy of fuzzy socks. However, one of my clients gifted me with an amazing pair of slipper socks last week and I am obsessed. So, I was insanely excited to receive some more pairs from Lea! These holiday socks are the softest, most comfortable things that I have ever put on my feet. They keep my tootsies toasty and they are too cute to boot. The polka dot pattern is so sweet and how adorable is that little hedgehog?! 😀

Lea loves to frequent craft fairs during the holiday season and the jewelry dish and T-shirt were both bought at one she went to with her mom. The jewelry dish is going to be perfect for housing my stud earrings, which is just what I need. I have so many pairs throughout the house that I have taken off and never bothered to put back smh. This dish is so pretty and simple and the cream base with the mauve rim is divine.

The piece de resistance from this holiday haul is, of course, the hilarious T-shirt that Lea got me. I have never owned any type of Christmas themed clothing and this shirt is the one to have. Its sentiment speaks to me on a spiritual level and I would have bought it for myself if I saw it while shopping. What can I say, after fourteen years of best friendship, Lea knows a thing or two about me! Although this is a holiday shirt, I will be wearing it year round. In fact, it just might make an appearance in an OOTD coming soon!

I had the best time celebrating Christmas and comradery with my best friend. I look forward to our holiday hang every year and here’s to fourteen more years of them!

Do you have any holiday traditions with your bestie? Where do you like to shop for holiday gifts? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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