Tag Archives: haul

Jan22

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on January 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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

Dec17

New Anne Klein Blazer

Posted on December 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone! Today, we are going to wrap up my TJMaxx Haul posts by discussing a gorgeous new plaid blazer by Anne Klein. I always feel lucky with my findings at TJs but even more so this last shopping trip. Almost every piece of clothing that I found was the only one left in the store and I got them for a steal of a price. The blazer seen below, for example, had an original price tag of one hundred and thirty and I got it for one hundred dollars less! Check it out:

Going to TJMaxx is like a fashion treasure hunt and you never know what you are going to find. I didn’t expect to end up with so much beautiful clothes this last trip around but here we are now lol. When I saw this Anne Klein blazer, it was love at first sight. The crisp shape paired with traditional red plaid hues was so divine and the stark white stitching gave such an eye catching pop. As if I wasn’t swooning already but the awesome price sent me head over heels. ❤

As soon as I tried this blazer on, so many different styling options began to swirl in my head. In fact, when I was shooting my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD, I originally had a plaid on plaid scheme in mind by pairing my Wild Fable skinnies with a red plaid blazer from the Goodwill. While the yellow and red plaid motif worked well, the blazer was too bulky and didn’t have the structure that I wanted to achieve the silhouette that I was going for. It bummed me out a little because I knew that it could look really cool and it just didn’t lol. I sure wish I had my new Anne Klein blazer a few weeks ago during that shoot because it would have worked perfectly for the punk rock tuxedo I had envisioned!

This blazer will allow me to restyle my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD with my initial plan AND MORE. As you can imagine, it would look stunning with some black distressed skinnies and huge platform boots. It will also add a nice dose of rock to flowing maxi skirts and sweet dresses. Or how about paired with a pleated mini skirt for the ultimate preppy bad girl look?! Now, If only I had a pleated mini skirt… 😀

After a whirlwind of Christmas shopping these past few months, Lil Red needed a gift too! I played Santa for myself with all kinds of beauty and fashion goodies and I cannot wait to put all of them to good use, starting with lots of brand new OOTDs. Keep it posted!

Have you bought anything for yourself while holiday shopping? What are you gifting yourself with this holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec16

New Philosophy Topper Jacket

Posted on December 16, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! TJMaxx is my shelter from the storm. It’s where everything in the world makes sense and nothing puts a pep back in my step like a good shopping trip. And, of course, getting great deals on each purchase certainly helps the cause too because this next item from my haul was a STEAL! Originally priced at one hundred dollars, I bought the Philosophy topper jacket seen below for eighteen bucks. You just can’t beat that and I am so excited to step out in this pretty little thing:

In case you haven’t noticed by now, I am a HUGE fan of anything and everything houndstooth. I love clothing that features it because it is such a classic yet bold pattern and that really speaks to me. And, this blood red houndstooth knit topper jacket by Philosophy made me clutch my pearls. While nothing pleases me more than a traditional black and white houndstooth – life is better in red, as the saying goes. This jacket proves it! 😀

When I first laid eyes on my new Philosophy topper, I said a silent prayer that it wasn’t going to be dummy expensive and the fashion gods answered my humble request. I couldn’t believe my good fortune that such a gorgeous jacket was knocked down to only eighteen dollars on clearance!! I felt in my heart of hearts that this topper was made for me and me alone and it was my destiny to have it. Okay, dramatic much but still. What a find!

While I do have several warmer jackets for the cold months, I love me a topper jacket so very much. Other than walking my dog, the time I spend outside in the winter is minimal and is mainly just me going into my car and walking into work. Of course, I could wear something warmer but it just seems unnecessary. The topper jacket is a perfect solution to this and provides an additional layer of warmth without all of the bulk when I am making such short trips in and out of the car. Oh yeah, and they’re cute. 🙂

Everything about this Philosophy topper jacket completely sold me. The deep red and black pattern is so punk rock and the knit fabric provides a bit of slouch to enhance the vibe even more. This jacket is begging to be worn with my distressed black skinnies, a crisp white sweater, and embellished combat boots. The topper jacket is a classic piece of clothing and I consider it to be a wardrobe essential. But what a statement it can make when you put a funky twist on a timeless staple!

Tune in tomorrow for the last item from my TJMaxx Haul and then it is onto more fun here on lifewithlilred – see you then! ❤

What is your favorite pattern? What pieces of clothing do you consider to be timeless? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

New Joie Knit Blazer

Posted on December 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My favorite piece of clothing is, easily, a good jacket. I freaking LOVE them and it never ceases to amaze me just how much they can transform an outfit by throwing one on. If I had to go more specific into which style of jacket is my favorite, then I would say: The blazer. Blazers are awesome and they can be anything that you want it to be. All business? Perfect. Business casual? Done. Date night? Easy. Running errands? Sure! From sleek and chic to sexy and sassy, blazers can be made to fit any occasion and there is really something to be said for that versatility. I have way too many blazers than I care to admit but couldn’t resist two more during my TJMaxx shopping trip! Check out the first of the two with this little number by Joie:

It’s hard for me to describe my personal style because I don’t like to limit myself to just one kind of clothing. The fun of fashion comes from trying new things and shopping at TJMaxx gives me the opportunity to be adventurous. At first glance, this new blazer is probably something that you guys wouldn’t have picked out for me to wear. And, honestly, at first glance I wasn’t completely sold on it, either. However, it never hurts to try clothes on no matter what the result ends up being because you can learn from it.

I wasn’t expecting to like this piece as much as I did prior to trying it on but it was such a game changer when it was actually on me and not on the hanger. From the way it’s made in the double breasted shape to the pattern and knit material, this Joie blazer is so unique and I have never seen anything like it before. My main fear was that the houndstooth pattern in nontraditional colors was going to look super old lady. BUT, it’s the periwinkle blue and black popping against the tawny background that make it quirky with a sweet retro touch.

The knit material of this blazer is also very cool. It offers the classic blazer shape without its sometimes unforgiving rigidity. Whether I had it buttoned or not, I could tell that it was still a blazer but just felt like a cozy knit cardigan. Can you picture settling in an armchair with a good book and a hot coffee at a cafe in this baby?! This blazer looks like going to a library or bookstore and I am so there for it.

I am excited for this new addition to my wardrobe because of all of the styling possibilities that come with it. I can picture it with a simple A-line skirt, tights, and heels for a holiday get together. I can also see myself sporting it with black skinnies and ankle length booties for work or running errands. This Joie blazer was the only one I could find in the store and I feel lucky to have gotten my hands on it! 😀

What is your favorite piece of clothing? What is something unique that you have in your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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