Tag Archives: haul

Apr25

New Japna Jumpsuit

Posted on April 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Last Tuesday, I enjoyed some much needed retail therapy and had a blast finally spending my Christmas gift cards from TJMaxx. I mainly needed odds and ends like birthday gifts and skin care, but I did manage to find two new pieces of spring clothing that I am loving. Today, we are going to take a closer look at an amazing jumpsuit I found by Japna – the last one on the rack! 😀 Let’s get to it:

I have been a huge fan of the jumpsuit theory for forever. However, in practice as a shorter gal, it has always left me disappointed. At barely over 5’1, ninety-nine percent of the jumpsuits that I have tried left me swimming in them. The other one percent featured other no go’s like random cutouts or a plunging neckline, which does nothing for me either. I had all but given up on finding a jumpsuit that would suit me best, but patience is virtue because this one by Japna is perfect.

What first drew me to this jumpsuit when I saw it was the color. While I often rock bold shades, this piece was bold enough in its shape alone and the crisp linen hue wouldn’t battle against all of my tattoos but enhance them. I also was liking the bustier style top with the gathered back because that style tends to agree with me. On the rack, this jumpsuit had everything that I was looking for, but the true test would come in the fitting room. This could be the best jumpsuit in the world and that would mean nothing if the length was dragging a foot below my feet!

As you probably already guessed because I purchased this jumpsuit, the length was not an issue whatsoever. In bare feet, it fell right at the ground and that is nothing that a killer pair of platforms can’t fix! The shape on my body was also exactly what I was hoping for. The more form fitting top against the breezy pants still offered definition, which is very important because it established a silhouette without having to resort to a belt at the waist.

Another major bonus of this jumpsuit is the extra slip of fabric falling from the waist to the lower thigh, respectively. This was great because I have tried on several jumpsuits that didn’t offer that and the visible panty lines were out of control. I was actually pretty worried about this before I tried it on because you could potentially see undies under the light colored fabric. Happily, this was not a problem and my new jumpsuit checked off every single one of my requirements. It’s like it was made for me!

I cannot wait to wear this fun little number ASAP and I think that it will be one of my staples this spring and summer. I love the ease of this jumpsuit because you basically just have to slip it on and go. Pair with platforms and a huge floppy hat and you have yourself an OOTD, baby! Keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul tomorrow! 🙂

How do you feel about jumpsuits? What is a style of clothing that you love but haven’t had any luck finding? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

So Bright I Need Shades

Posted on April 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last Tuesday, I had the morning to myself after working from home and all I wanted to do was shop, shop, shop! Before my afternoon shift, I hit up TJMaxx and Bath & Body Works for some much needed retail therapy and had an absolute blast. At TJMaxx, I spent my Christmas gift cards on a few new things for me, skin care, birthday gifts for my bestie, a new shirt for Johnny, and sunglasses! I have been so sick of wearing Johnny’s plain frames and chose two new pairs; one by Sam Edelman and the other, surprisingly, was by America’s number one baddie, Martha Stewart lol. Check them out:

There was a point in my early twenties when I had sunglasses galore as they were a cheap and fun way for a little pick me up. I had quite the collection of sunnies in various shapes, sizes, and colors and would change out which one I was using often. Of course, sunglasses don’t last forever and all of them had definitely seen better days. Scratches, loose screws, and cracks began to form and one by one my collection ended up in the trash. And, eventually, I had to resort to square black frames a la Johnny when driving and out and about.

The sunglasses that I had been using were probably the most boring thing that Johnny and I own and I decided to check out the sunglasses wall at TJs during my excursion. I was pretty unimpressed with a majority of the options and was drowning in a sea of tortoiseshell! However, I did have luck with two pairs and that’s great because literally anything was better than what I had! I was shocked to see so many Martha Stewart pairs on the shelf, but it all worked out because they were arguably the most fun frames available. I still can’t quite wrap my mind around that. 🙂

The pair of Martha, Martha, Marthas that I selected are really cool and I love the shape; they are huge! One problem that I have found with gigantic frames are how heavy they are and that was not the case with my new pair at all. These are so light but still feel sturdy and that is a major plus. I feel so perfectly posh in these shades and ten dollars isn’t a bad price to pay for a pair by America’s sweetheart! 😀

The other pair I chose was by Sam Edelman, whose accessories I am obsessed with. In fact, I used to have a pair of sunglasses from that designer until they broke! I am all about sunnies with a unique shape and these octagonal frames were an instant must. In fact, I used to have a very similar pair until they broke lol. Noticing a theme here? I have been wearing these sunnies every day since I got them and they are awesome! Like the Marthas, they are nice and light and the protection they offer from the sun without drastically changing the colors of everything makes for an ideal pair for driving. And for also looking fresh to death!

For so long, I focused on clothing and shoes while shopping that I didn’t even think about getting new sunglasses, which I really needed. These new pairs will come in very handy during the sunny days of spring and summer and I might just have to start rebuilding my sunglasses collection again! Keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul coming soon!

Do you have a collection of any accessories? What is your favorite accessory to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Posted on March 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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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

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